The Quiet Engine Behind Airport Efficiency

Johannes Smejkal brings over three decades of hands-on experience and leadership in airport ground handling operations. His career at Vienna Airport began on January 1, 1990, when he joined as a ramp agent. Over the years, he expanded his expertise across multiple roles within the ground handling department, including working as a dispatcher.

For the past 23 years, Smejkal has held various leadership positions, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the airport’s operational efficiency. Among his notable contributions is the successful implementation of the baggage reconciliation system at Vienna Airport. His career path has taken him through a range of responsibilities and stations, leading to his current role as Senior Director of Ground Handling Services. Today, he oversees all aspects of ground handling operations at Vienna Airport, bringing deep institutional knowledge, operational insight and a commitment to excellence in aviation services.

Through this article, Smejkal shines a light on the often-overlooked ground handling teams, the everyday heroes behind airport operations. He emphasises how they skilfully manage the unique demands of each airline, ensuring that every flight runs safely, efficiently and on time.

At a Glance

Ground Handling: The silent powerhouse behind every on-time flight is a dedicated ground handling team. Smejkal highlights how these teams balance speed, safety and precision while adapting to vastly different airline needs—from luxury carriers to budget operators.

Communication That Keeps Airports Moving – Success lies in seamless coordination. From single points of contact to shift briefings and live monitoring, structured communication ensures that everyone—from baggage handlers to ramp crews—is on the same page and ready to act.

Adapting Without Rebuilding – Infrastructure can’t change overnight, but operations can. By optimising existing facilities and workflows, airports can serve a range of carriers effectively without costly reconstructions.

Training for Today and Tomorrow – Smejkal underscores the importance of skilled teams and evolving tech. Investments in virtual reality training and electric ground support equipment (GSE) show how innovation and sustainability are reshaping airport operations.

A Future Built on Standards and Flexibility – From safety cone placement to pushback processes, standardisation could simplify the ramp. But unpredictability will remain—and the best advice is to stay alert, adapt quickly and always be ready for what’s next.

Ground Handling: The Hidden Engine of Airport Operations

When people think of airports, they often imagine pilots in cockpits or flight attendants in uniform. But few realise that the true engine behind a successful flight operates on the ground. Ground handling, the coordination of everything that happens before a plane takes off and after it lands, is what keeps the entire system running.

“We manage everything from tight 25-minute turnarounds for low-cost carriers to our hub carrier, Austrian airlines. Transferring passengers and baggage within such short windows is a race against the clock, but it’s one we’re trained to win, without compromising safety”

Our direct clients are the airlines, but their customers are the passengers. So, when passengers are happy, the airline is glad, and that’s when we, as ground handlers, know we’ve done our job well.

The biggest challenge we face is dealing with vastly different expectations. On one side, we work with five-star airlines where every aspect, from the look and feel of the operation to service standards, must reflect that level of quality. On the other side, we also serve low-cost carriers, where the priority is speed and keeping costs as low as possible. Switching between these different worlds on a daily basis is no small task.

What makes things even more complex is that every airline has its procedures. They all do the same thing: they move passengers, baggage, cargo and mail from one place to another. But how they do it can vary dramatically. Where to park the trucks, where to place the safety cones and how to handle the aircraft differ for each one. That’s the part I find most challenging, especially here in Vienna. But honestly, I believe this is a shared challenge across airports worldwide.

How Ground Handling Stays in Sync: Precision in Motion

With such a diverse customer base, communication is the key. All airline information flows into our system through a single point of contact and is then shared across departments, from baggage handling, catering, ramp services and more. Everyone gets what they need to deliver smooth operations.

Each shift begins with briefings to ensure every team gets the latest updates, from loaders to catering drivers. Information is also delivered through signage, written systems, and real-time monitors across the airport and is tailored to roles and urgency levels.

We manage everything from tight 25-minute turnarounds for low-cost carriers to our hub carrier, Austrian Airlines. Transferring passengers and baggage within such short windows is a race against the clock, but it’s one we’re trained to win.

On-time performance is critical, and to stay ahead, we use live monitoring to track delays and communicate them quickly to all teams. Within 30 minutes, everyone knows what’s happening and why. But speed alone isn’t enough. A few years ago, we noticed our strong push for punctuality was beginning to overshadow safety. That insight led to a renewed focus through a major safety campaign by embedding safety back into every briefing, monitoring session and performance discussion, the team was able to realign its values.

Adapting Within Limits: Flexibility Over Infrastructure

Another constant challenge is adapting operations within the limits of existing airport infrastructure. Every airline may fly passengers from point A to point B, but their ground requirements can differ significantly. Yet, airports can’t just rebuild facilities to meet every new demand. We can’t decide one year to add a new low-cost terminal and then, a few years later, repurpose it for wide-body aircraft like the A380.

Instead, we’ve found ways to make our existing infrastructure work smarter. By refining our operations, rather than rebuilding, we’ve created solutions that satisfy both five-star airlines and low-cost carriers, ensuring smooth, efficient turnarounds without compromising service or safety.

We’re also focusing on building a skilled and adaptable workforce. With stable staffing levels, the challenge is training effectively and blending experienced employees with new recruits. That’s why we’re investing in virtual reality training, which promises to speed up learning and prepare staff for real-world challenges faster.

At the same time, technology is evolving rapidly. A few years ago, shifting to electric ground service equipment (GSE) seemed complex and expensive. Today, improved battery life and lower maintenance costs make electric GSE both efficient and sustainable.

Looking ahead, one of the biggest opportunities lies in greater standardisation. Even simple things like where safety cones are placed vary by airline, adding unnecessary complexity. Streamlining these practices could greatly improve efficiency and safety on the ramp. In ground handling, unpredictability is a given. The key to success is staying alert, flexible and always ready to adapt, because that’s how you meet today’s challenges and prepare for tomorrow’s.