For reasons relevant to the status of the international airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” of Heraklion Crete, Greece, this report will focus on a major ground service provider (Ground Handler or GH). It will endeavour to appraise the inter-dependability of the gate, check-in and dispatch departments of the GH which is the showcase of the airport. However, a few introductory remarks are necessary as an explanation of the airport status.
The airport of Heraklion is currently run by the government, and comes under the umbrella of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks. Following a Skype interview with airport official Mr. Nikos Parasyris the departments are labelled as follows: a) Airport Authority (or Airport Ops), b) …show more content…
Nevertheless, safety and security issues are major concerns for both private and state run enterprises. However, such concerns relate to image of the country as a holiday destination. Also, it is true that such concerns increase costs and raise issues of operations efficiency and customer satisfaction. Despite its sizeable annual income (in tens of millions of Euros), the airport of Heraklion receives a meagre National Budget allocation which barely covers operating costs. Key departments are understaffed (e.g. the CAA Information Desk) and others are overstaffed but mobility of personnel is frowned upon. Underbudgeted and unwisely staffed, airport department inter-dependability is weak to limping and more concerned with safety, security and bureaucratic issues than customer satisfaction per …show more content…
Supervisors are usually staff members that have been with the company for a significant amount of time. They monitor all processes relevant to their departments, make important decisions, assist colleagues when necessary and report to their superiors. In addition, GH operators may choose to perform internal audits. These audits are typically performed by the Station Manager and the managers of the departments that are being assessed. The above methods also help GH operators to stay ahead of the competition and mediate any security and safety concerns that might