2023-07-09 04:03:00
It’s summer, the children are on school vacation. Many Belgians take advantage of this period to travel, especially by plane. But when boarding, passengers on a flight do not always realize the work that is done on the tarmac to ensure that everything goes well. Report at Zaventem airport.
On the tarmac of Brussels airport, the rotations are linked. There are more than 74,000 movements per year. As soon as an airplane is stationary, the one called the “red cap” takes things in hand. He coordinates all the operations. “We check that the chocks are well placed and also the cones, at each end of the engines and the wings so that there is no vehicle which can damage the plane“, explains Kervin Van Loo who takes on this role of coordinator.
An Airbus A330 coming from Washington landed on the Brussels runway. For Kervin, the “red cap“, the race begins. The aircraft must be unloaded and at the same time, a technical team ensures that the aircraft has not suffered any damage during the flight. “They check everything to be sure that the plane is fit to leave.“
Ready for take off
The plane had just arrived from the United States and it was already necessary to prepare it to join it in Senegal. Phase two begins and the “push back” comes into action. This towing vehicle is used to transfer the plane to its departure area. A necessary intervention because the planes cannot go back, they only move forward.
An airbus like this has a wingspan of more than 60 meters and almost 230 tons, the maneuver is tricky. It is all the more so as the activity on the slopes never stops. As soon as it is in place, the device is connected to the air conditioning to make the temperature “more pleasant to work“says Wart Van Meerbeeck, loading supervisor. In a few moments, the device becomes a veritable anthill.
The cleaning team has 20 minutes to cover the 45 meters of cabin. The 295 seats must be perfectly clean, each time with a sheet for instructions. As often, Philippe Platteborze is the first to arrive. This Captain has more than 20,000 flight hours to his name. His destination for the day: Dakar.
“I check that there are no cuts in the tires, then the condition of the compressor, see that there is no oil coming out“, he says. The landing gear is always given special attention, “to make sure no one is hiding there“. If the commander affirms that in 27 years of career, he has “Never“had the case, he points out that”it happens“.
Once the inspection is finished, the pilot and his co-pilot check the flight plan and the instruments on board. The slightest warning is taken seriously. “A fuel leak or an oil leak that can happen at any time and in this case, we must stop, we must investigate and call the technician to see if we can leave or not.”
Last minute setbacks
Meanwhile, Kervin is still running. With his team leader, he ensures that the load is complete. The slightest error can cause considerable delays. In the hold, the handlers are stepping up the pace, they have to make the most of the space, because other objects, which are too bulky, can be added at the last moment. And justly… “The door warned me that some djembes will have to be put in the hold, for lack of space in the cabin“, launches the coordinator.
On the tarmac, another vehicle enters: the supply truck. The fuel must make it possible to travel the 4,500 kilometers to Senegal.
“What happens regularly is a missing passenger, less than 10 minutes before departure. You have to retrieve your suitcase from one of the containers that is loaded“, explains Kervin. Removing a piece of baggage, already in the hold, can cause a delay of one to twenty minutes.
In the cockpit, Kervin, the “red cap” and Philippe, the pilot, validate the flight. The plane can leave. From its arrival to Washington to its departure for Dakar, this Airbus A330 remained four hours on Belgian soil.
Zaventem Airport
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