‘Torture’ of ground handlers: How airlines’ underinvestment in ground staff and leaders is driving sky-high people risks

By Katie Scott2026-04-22T13:00:00

Ground Handling Session, Marsh Aviation Summit 2026

‘You don’t need to be a futurist to recognise the likelihood that things are just going to go wrong out there because we don’t spend the time investing in our people,’ says director

The aviation sector is on the cusp of a people risk problem as industry thought leaders acknowledge that ground handlers’ day-to-day work and treatment is akin to “torture”, with investment into training and leadership skills falling by the wayside and leaving organisations open to people related exposures.

This was the consensus reached by an expert panel speaking at the Marsh Aviation Summit in London on 16 April 2026, participating in a session entitled ‘Data driven ramp safety and attritional loss reduction for ground operations’.

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