Narrative:

Something must be done regarding air carrier airline ground/ramp operation at lga. How many times must I complain to management at lga? Maybe if I complain to you something will be done. Many controllers feel the way I do when I say airline operation at lga is unsafe! A ramp worker has already died, when an air carrier tug ran him over on the ground. We were told by airline employees themselves that prior to working in the ramp operations they came from other jobs such as catering. What kind of experience does this show for their operation. Airline never had a ramp control prior to the end of 1992 when they opened their new terminal at lga. Most of their gates infringe on active txwys or pushbacks. Ramp control cannot authorize any movement on movement areas without ATC clearance. We were also informed by airline that their scheduled arrs arrive 20 mins early which does not allow them access to their gates. This puts tremendous pressure on the ground controller. Not only do they have to keep airline planes on the txwys, the amount of frequency activity has greatly increased because the pilots simply refuse to take a control instruction without question. They taxi to their gates without permission, push back through txwys without ATC permission, and ramp control has no clue how to run an efficient and safe operation. Someone needs to look into the ever growing problem at lga and put an end to the inefficient way of doing business. This is hurting everyone involved, even the other users who are just trying to get to and from the runways. Callback conversation with facility revealed the following: call to facility reveals that this airline has more flts, including commuters, than they have gates. As a result, aircraft frequently block the inner taxiway thereby preventing other aircraft from taxiing to the runway. In many cases the delay causes an impact to this particular airline only. Facility recognizes problem and have been meeting with the airline and airport people to reduce the impact. One solution is to move the commuter operation to another area. They have another meeting scheduled this month.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLAIMS THAT AN AIRLINE RAMP CTL IS CAUSING PROBS AND DELAYING OTHER ACFT DUE TO INEXPERIENCE AND LACK OF COORD.

Narrative: SOMETHING MUST BE DONE REGARDING ACR AIRLINE GND/RAMP OP AT LGA. HOW MANY TIMES MUST I COMPLAIN TO MGMNT AT LGA? MAYBE IF I COMPLAIN TO YOU SOMETHING WILL BE DONE. MANY CTLRS FEEL THE WAY I DO WHEN I SAY AIRLINE OP AT LGA IS UNSAFE! A RAMP WORKER HAS ALREADY DIED, WHEN AN ACR TUG RAN HIM OVER ON THE GND. WE WERE TOLD BY AIRLINE EMPLOYEES THEMSELVES THAT PRIOR TO WORKING IN THE RAMP OPS THEY CAME FROM OTHER JOBS SUCH AS CATERING. WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE DOES THIS SHOW FOR THEIR OP. AIRLINE NEVER HAD A RAMP CTL PRIOR TO THE END OF 1992 WHEN THEY OPENED THEIR NEW TERMINAL AT LGA. MOST OF THEIR GATES INFRINGE ON ACTIVE TXWYS OR PUSHBACKS. RAMP CTL CANNOT AUTHORIZE ANY MOVEMENT ON MOVEMENT AREAS WITHOUT ATC CLRNC. WE WERE ALSO INFORMED BY AIRLINE THAT THEIR SCHEDULED ARRS ARRIVE 20 MINS EARLY WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THEM ACCESS TO THEIR GATES. THIS PUTS TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON THE GND CTLR. NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE TO KEEP AIRLINE PLANES ON THE TXWYS, THE AMOUNT OF FREQ ACTIVITY HAS GREATLY INCREASED BECAUSE THE PLTS SIMPLY REFUSE TO TAKE A CTL INSTRUCTION WITHOUT QUESTION. THEY TAXI TO THEIR GATES WITHOUT PERMISSION, PUSH BACK THROUGH TXWYS WITHOUT ATC PERMISSION, AND RAMP CTL HAS NO CLUE HOW TO RUN AN EFFICIENT AND SAFE OP. SOMEONE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THE EVER GROWING PROB AT LGA AND PUT AN END TO THE INEFFICIENT WAY OF DOING BUSINESS. THIS IS HURTING EVERYONE INVOLVED, EVEN THE OTHER USERS WHO ARE JUST TRYING TO GET TO AND FROM THE RWYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH FACILITY REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALL TO FACILITY REVEALS THAT THIS AIRLINE HAS MORE FLTS, INCLUDING COMMUTERS, THAN THEY HAVE GATES. AS A RESULT, ACFT FREQUENTLY BLOCK THE INNER TXWY THEREBY PREVENTING OTHER ACFT FROM TAXIING TO THE RWY. IN MANY CASES THE DELAY CAUSES AN IMPACT TO THIS PARTICULAR AIRLINE ONLY. FACILITY RECOGNIZES PROB AND HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THE AIRLINE AND ARPT PEOPLE TO REDUCE THE IMPACT. ONE SOLUTION IS TO MOVE THE COMMUTER OP TO ANOTHER AREA. THEY HAVE ANOTHER MEETING SCHEDULED THIS MONTH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.