Ground Handling Agent - Baggage Handling Unit (Fixed Term)

Gatwick Ground Services (GGS) provide airport ground operations at London Gatwick and London City Airports.  As a wholly owned British Airways subsidiary we take great pride in delivering the same impeccable customer service and fully comprehensive training.  We are proud to deliver the highest standard of ground handling to British Airways and our other airline partners.

Gatwick Ground Services was established in 2016, to support the ramp operations of British Airways at Gatwick. Following its success, the company branched into Aircraft Cleaning in 2018.  In 2020, Passenger Services formed the newest department within the GGS business to provide an all-round ground handling option.

Our operations across two stations supports British Airways, Air India, Iberia Express, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Vueling Airlines providing a complete ground handling solution. 

It’s an exciting and fast-paced life when you’re working in some of the world’s most important travel hubs, and you’ll be part of a global gateway connecting with people from all walks of life and helping to make each and every journey original and unique.

Whether you are a welcoming face at check in, have a keen eye for aircraft appearance, or thrive in a detail-oriented fast paced ramp environment, a job at Gatwick Ground Services is yours to make.

When you join the Gatwick Ground Services team, an exceptional travel experience from the ground up starts with you.

The role:

Baggage Handler

The role of Baggage Handler is extremely important and is crucial in ensuring the timely turnaround of allocated flights.  In this role, you will be the first point of contact for all hold baggage, ensuring that it is processed and moved to the correct location ready for the Ramp Agents to load onto the aircraft.

Your shifts will vary between early and late start times; currently the earliest start time being as early as 04:00 and the latest finish time being as late as 21:30. Your shifts will run on a rolling pattern of 5 days on and 3 days off.  Given the nature of this role, you must be available to cover the above shift times, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, including Bank Holidays and religious festivals.

We are currently offering a fixed term contract until 31st October 2025 with the possibility of an offer of a permanent contract at the end of this period.

What you’ll do:

• Assist the Team Leader with the efficient operation of the chute / line / baggage sorting area
• Use of a baggage tug once completing relevant training
• Delivery of baggage to aircraft side ready for the Ramp Agents to take over and complete operation
• Delivery and collection of baggage to the Re-flight Unit / drop-off point
• Delivery and collection of empty containers to / from the appropriate storage area
• Reporting of defective equipment
• Ensuring equipment is kept clean and tidy and is stored in the correct area and manner
• Ensuring that all Health & Safety requirements are adhered to and the reporting of those that are not
• Ensuring company procedures, customer SLA and performance targets are met
• Represent the Company in a professional manner

What you’ll bring to Gatwick Ground Services:

• Ideally you will be able to demonstrate previous manual handling or warehouse experience
• Excellent communication skills
• Must be flexible
• Must be able to obtain and retain a full airside pass including a satisfactory criminal record check
• Must hold a valid Full UK Driving Licence (Automatic or Manual)
• Must be able to lift baggage weighing up to 32kg
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to work as part of a team

Your experience:

• Strong team approach
• Pragmatic and solution focused
• Good communication and influencing skills
• Ability to prioritise in a fast-paced environment and manage workload to deliver to tight deadlines/turnarounds
• Ability to clearly and accurately interpret and communicate relevant information
• Resilient and tenacious, able to pursue goals in the face of obstacles
• Must be able to obtain and retain a full airside pass including a satisfactory criminal record check

What we offer:

Starting salary £26,019.15 (£13.34ph) plus £2,280.00 additional annual shift pay

Overtime paid at time and a half during the week, and double time at weekends and Bank Holidays. 

We believe that all the people who work with us should feel valued for the part they play. It’s one of the reasons our rewards go far beyond a competitive salary.

Key benefits include:

• After successful completion of your probationary period, you will have access to discounted flights known as hotline fares, standby tickets and concessions with British Airways and other code share airlines
• Health benefits including free winter flu jab and access to the HSF Health Plan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free staff parking
• Discounts on public transport and airport food vendors
• A generous leave allowance, increasing annually for the first 5 years of employment
• Pension scheme

At Gatwick Ground Services you’ll have the chance to take on new challenges and move forward in a way that feels right for you. We encourage all those who work for us to consider opportunities right across our business to help you develop and progress.

We never stand still, and we don’t expect our people to either.

Inclusion & Diversity

At Gatwick Ground Services we all have a part to play in creating an inclusive place to work. Diverse representation among our people is really important to us and we recognise that all our colleagues are uniquely different and bring their own originality, creativity and identity to work.

Inclusion and diversity are a key driver of innovation and we’re committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they can be themselves. We’re looking for people from all backgrounds and cultures to join us and be a part of our journey as we continue to assist with connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain.