COLOGNE, March 07, 2025 — The safety of each flight starts on the ground, when the aircraft is serviced and fuelled, the cargo is loaded, and passengers are boarded. Over 300,000 people make sure that this is done safely on EU airports every day. The importance of ground handling services in ensuring safe flights has been recognised as the European Commission has published the first-ever ground handling safety regulations, bringing this area of aviation operations into the regulatory framework of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). EASA’s task now is to support the industry and competent authorities in implementing the needed changes by 2028. The new rules come in two parts: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/20 containing requirements for organisations and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/23 with requirements for competent authority oversight of ground handling services and of organisations providing those services. (....)