Narrative:

Insufficient ramp personnel to safely supervise and direct passenger. Our airline's ramp at dfw international airport is so short staffed, a single agent may be working 3-4 aircraft simultaneously. Passenger boarding aircraft try to load their own baggage in rear of aircraft, leading to possible inaccurate bag counts for weight and balance calculations. No one is there to assist them. Passenger also wander on the ramp, behind and in between aircraft, in areas where the crew cannot see them. The potential for personal injury and breached security are obvious. No ramp agents are available to supervise boarding (as required by company standard practice manual). No ramp agents are frequently available to assist taxiing aircraft with parking, taxi, and wing walkers as required by standard practice in our flight operations manual. Taxiing aircraft must stop and wait to be parked, creating ramp blockages. Chronic and recurring problem. Cause: severe cost control. Will not hire more ramp personnel. Regional manager will not listen to safety concerns of this issue. Solution: hire more ramp personnel and provide better training. Offer better wage structure to attract and retain quality people.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT COMPLAINS THAT THE DFW RAMP AREA USED BY HIS COMPANY HAS A SECURITY PROB BECAUSE THERE ARE SO FEW RAMP AGENTS THAT PAX WANDER FREELY AROUND THE RAMP.

Narrative: INSUFFICIENT RAMP PERSONNEL TO SAFELY SUPERVISE AND DIRECT PAX. OUR AIRLINE'S RAMP AT DFW INTL ARPT IS SO SHORT STAFFED, A SINGLE AGENT MAY BE WORKING 3-4 ACFT SIMULTANEOUSLY. PAX BOARDING ACFT TRY TO LOAD THEIR OWN BAGGAGE IN REAR OF ACFT, LEADING TO POSSIBLE INACCURATE BAG COUNTS FOR WT AND BAL CALCULATIONS. NO ONE IS THERE TO ASSIST THEM. PAX ALSO WANDER ON THE RAMP, BEHIND AND IN BTWN ACFT, IN AREAS WHERE THE CREW CANNOT SEE THEM. THE POTENTIAL FOR PERSONAL INJURY AND BREACHED SECURITY ARE OBVIOUS. NO RAMP AGENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO SUPERVISE BOARDING (AS REQUIRED BY COMPANY STANDARD PRACTICE MANUAL). NO RAMP AGENTS ARE FREQUENTLY AVAILABLE TO ASSIST TAXIING ACFT WITH PARKING, TAXI, AND WING WALKERS AS REQUIRED BY STANDARD PRACTICE IN OUR FLT OPS MANUAL. TAXIING ACFT MUST STOP AND WAIT TO BE PARKED, CREATING RAMP BLOCKAGES. CHRONIC AND RECURRING PROB. CAUSE: SEVERE COST CTL. WILL NOT HIRE MORE RAMP PERSONNEL. REGIONAL MGR WILL NOT LISTEN TO SAFETY CONCERNS OF THIS ISSUE. SOLUTION: HIRE MORE RAMP PERSONNEL AND PROVIDE BETTER TRAINING. OFFER BETTER WAGE STRUCTURE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN QUALITY PEOPLE.

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.