A Case Study of Lufthansa, Vueling, and Wizz Air Aircraft Turnarounds at Lisbon Airport

Abstract

Ground handling services must be provided in accordance with the airlines' strategy in order to add value and create competitive advantage for the contracting airline, and it is therefore critical to understand how airlines shape ground handling services based on their business models. This study addresses ground handling services by focusing on the aircraft turnarounds of full-service, hybrid and low-cost airlines. It aims to extend the knowledge of the procedures, activities, and resources of aircraft turnarounds by comparing, based on qualitative research using the case study method, the characteristics of Lufthansa, Vueling and Wizz Air aircraft turnarounds. The results point out that the tasks related to unloading/unloading the holds, cleaning the cabin, and disembarking/embarking passengers, are the turnaround tasks that show the most differences between the three business models, playing an important role in the value creation strategy and in increasing the competitive advantage of airlines in ground handling services.