SLA compliance and handling delay codes: from argument to facts
A flight leaves late. The airline codes the delay, and some of the minutes are charged to ground handling. The handler has a few days to respond, often with an end-of-flight report, people’s recollections and a string of emails. The discussion runs on impressions, and it rarely ends in the handler’s favour.
The SLA and delays module changes the nature of that discussion. For every flight, Turnpilot keeps the time-stamped timeline of the turnaround. Every IATA delay code can be checked against those facts: accepted when it is right, disputed when it isn’t, with evidence the other party can verify.
A time-stamped chain of evidence for every flight
During the turn, every step is time-stamped and carries its source: on-block (AIBT), equipment arrival, loading progress, end of boarding, doors closed, off-block (AOBT). Decisions made during the bank, alerts and how they were handled are all logged.
This is not a report written after the fact. It is the sequence of events, recorded as they happen and available flight by flight. When time-stamped images exist for the flight, they join the chain.
Reading a delay against the facts
IATA delay codes separate causes: passengers and baggage, loading and ramp handling, technical, catering, air traffic restrictions and many more. For any given delay, the flight timeline shows what was ready, when, and what wasn’t. The SLA lead can see whether the minutes charged to ground handling match what actually happened on the ramp. Our article on reading IATA delay codes and disputing a minute explains how.
Export to billing and dispute handling
Evidence only helps once it leaves the tool. For a flight or a period, Turnpilot exports the chain of evidence in a format the airline can read and your billing and dispute teams can work with.
The same work serves billing. Services actually delivered are documented during the turn, with their timestamps. What was done on the ramp is on record, and can be billed in line with the contract. Invoices are still issued from your current tools.
Track your service commitments
Quality and timeliness commitments are set in the handling contract, often based on the SGHA, and in the SLAs agreed with each airline. The SLA dashboard tracks them by period, airline and station:
- punctuality attributable to ground handling, next to overall on-time performance (OTP);
- delay minutes by IATA code;
- steps completed against the agreed standards;
- bags loaded against bags expected;
- how alerts were handled during the bank.
The indicators are the same at every station. Management running several stations can compare them on a common basis and see where handling-related delays concentrate.
Who it is for
- SLA and billing lead — proof of service and time-stamped chains, without rebuilding them by hand.
- Station manager — the list of late departures with their timelines, at the end of every day.
- Head of operations — comparable indicators across stations and documented delay causes.
The SLA module relies on turnaround control for the facts, and on the airline portal to share them. It is at the heart of what Turnpilot offers ground handlers. To understand where those minutes come from, read where handling-related delays come from.