The reporter has raised a safety concern regarding the lack of ground staff at [Location] more broadly, but specifically marshals and/or ground staff to direct passengers during disembarkation from the rear stairs.
The reporter states that it is their experience, and understanding that it is a requirement, to have a marshal on the wing tip who has line of sight to the terminal during passenger disembarkation via the rear stairs. The reporter states that at other ports, passenger disembarkation is delayed until which time a marshal is available to oversee the disembarkation. However, it is a common occurrence in [Location] to have no one on the tarmac during passenger movement up or down the rear stairs. The reporter believes that this is due to the critical staff shortages at [Location] airport.
The reporter states that on one occasion, a taxiing turboprop aircraft came within metres of passengers disembarking a 737, with no one present to ensure that passengers did not turn the wrong way, that or a child did not run off. When the reporter raised the concern they were advised by ground crew that a baggage handler positioned in the room where bags are unloaded (some 200 metres from the rear stairs) was overseeing the disembarkation process. The reporter is concerned that in an emergency situation, the baggage handler would not have been in a position to intervene in time to prevent an accident. The reporter also queries the baggage handler's experience/knowledge with passenger safety procedures.
An auditor undertook assurance activity (observations) in [Location] in response to the REPCON (report provided in full to the ATSB).
While there were no concerns raised during the observed operations, interviews with ground handling agents suggested that the service provider did suffer from resourcing constraints during the peak season – possibly coinciding with the timing of the reported occurrences in the REPCON.
Due to not having visibility of the time and date(s) of the REPCON reported occurrences, CCTV vision was not accessed.
While the operator and the ground handling agent are unable to refute the alleged compliance breaches referred to in the REPCON, the recent assurance activity gives comfort that the current service provision meets our expected level of compliance.
Following the assurance activity, [Operator] will be providing [Ground handling agent] with a report and some recommendations on areas for continuous improvement.
The ATSB did not seek a response from the regulator.