To improve its competitive position, United Airlines sought to reduce the amount of time its planes.

To improve its competitive position, United Airlines sought
to reduce the amount of time its planes stay on the ground between flights. As
one United Airlines senior executive stated, “Our airplanes don’t earn money
while they’re sitting on the ground. . . . They need to be in the air. So if we
can shave even four or five minutes off of every aircraft turn, we can fly well
over a hundred more flights a day.” To achieve this goal, United decided to
invest in training for employees who work in ramp crews, which are responsible
for guiding planes to their gate and chocking their wheels after
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To improve its competitive position, United Airlines sought
to reduce the amount of time its planes stay on the ground between flights. As
one United Airlines senior executive stated, “Our airplanes don’t earn money
while they’re sitting on the ground. . . . They need to be in the air. So if we
can shave even four or five minutes off of every aircraft turn, we can fly well
over a hundred more flights a day.” To achieve this goal, United decided to
invest in training for employees who work in ramp crews, which are responsible
for guiding planes to their gate and chocking their wheels after arrival,
positioning the “jet bridge” that connects the airport gate with the door of
the aircraft so that passengers can safely exit and board, setting up belt
loaders so that baggage can be unloaded and loaded, performing various
maintenance tasks, and keeping the ground free of debris that could get sucked
up in the jet engines. So what type of training did the ramp crews receive?
They were sent to “Pit Crew U,” where they learned how to service a racing car
during a pit stop. The task typically involves changing tires using a jack and
air guns, pumping gas into the car, cleaning up spills, and washing the car’s
windshield. In a competitive race, all these tasks have to happen in about 13
seconds, without any mistakes that could cause damage to the car or injury to
the driver, members of the pit crew, or spectators. So why did United Airlines
believe that it could reduce the time it takes to turn an aircraft through
training in an altogether different job?

United believed that the set of skills that promote the
effectiveness of crews responsible for servicing a car during a pit stop is
roughly the same as the set of skills that promote the effectiveness of ramp
crews responsible for servicing a plane between flights. To accomplish the goal
of a 13-second pit stop during a real race, pit crews must use a highly
standardized and coordinated process. The members of the crew need to plan and
prepare themselves and their tools for each and every pit stop. During the pit
stop, the members follow their part of a standardized process, and when
something unexpected happens—for example, when a tool breaks or fuel spills on
the car and ignites—the members must communicate with one another and make
adjustments to the process. Although the specific tasks, tools, and time
constraints are different, ramp crews also need to follow a standardized and
coordinated process to turn a plane for the next flight. Members of ramp crews
should be prepared and ready to fulfill the requirements of their specific part
of the crew’s task. They also need to communicate effectively with one another
and adapt to unusual circumstances—such as when a baggage cart breaks or an
important tool is misplaced. Of course, there are some important issues that
come to mind when considering the appropriateness of pit crew training for ramp
crews. Most obviously, perhaps, the racing context might cause ramp crews to
overemphasize the goal of increasing speed and underemphasize the important
actions that protect the safety of the flight crew and passengers. We do not
know of any specific examples in which this issue has caused a problem at
United Airlines, however, it may be worthwhile to consider how training could
be adapted to deal with the possibility.

a. Which specific types of team processes are most relevant
to ramp crews? Which factors in the ramp crew context likely cause the majority
of problems with communication?

b. Which type of team process training takes place at Pit
Crew U? Which specific team processes and communication factors does the
training emphasize?

c. What recommendations would you make to ensure that the
ramp crews maintained their focus on safety? Are there additional types of team
processes or communication training that should be incorporated to overcome
potential issues having to do with the speed versus safety trade-off?