Category: Ground Handling

The 18th BRICS Summit takes place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, 2026. As India chairs the grouping for the fourth time under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” the summit will bring together Heads of State and senior delegations from eleven member nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia as an observer. Partner country delegations and accompanying business and media contingents will add significantly to the total volume of international aircraft movements into Delhi around the event.

For aviation operators, embassies, and protocol teams managing delegation travel, the ground handling requirement for a summit of this scale is considerable. This article explains what VIP ground handling at a major diplomatic event involves and how VVIP Flight supports operations into New Delhi during the BRICS Summit period.

What VIP Ground Handling Means at a Summit Like BRICS

VIP ground handling for a diplomatic summit is not a scaled-up version of standard business aviation handling. It is a fundamentally different operational framework built around security, protocol, and precise timing, all of which are non-negotiable at a Head of State-level event.

At the BRICS Summit, every aircraft carrying a Head of State, a foreign minister, or a senior delegation member arrives into an operational environment where security agencies, protocol officers, airport authorities, and ground handlers are coordinating simultaneously. The ground handler’s role is to ensure that every element of the ground operation, from parking stand allocation and ramp access to lounge coordination and motorcade staging, is in place before the aircraft arrives, not managed on the day.

Ceremonial Lounge and Tarmac Access

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has a dedicated Ceremonial Lounge for VVIP and diplomatic movements, coordinated separately from the main commercial terminal. For Head of State aircraft, movements into and out of the Palam Air Force technical area involve a separate coordination chain that runs through defense authorities alongside civil aviation and protocol channels.

For BRICS Summit delegations, lounge access needs to be arranged well in advance with a verified passenger and support staff list. Direct tarmac access, allowing the delegation to move from the aircraft to the lounge or waiting motorcade without passing through any public terminal area, is a standard requirement for principal-level movements and must be coordinated with both the airport authority and the relevant security agencies before the aircraft departs its origin.

Permit Coordination for BRICS Delegation Flights

Every non-scheduled foreign aircraft operating into India requires a valid landing permit from the DGCA. Standard processing is 3 working days, extends to 7 working days for flights originating from the list of restricted countries such as China, North Korea, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Nigeria.

Beyond the standard permit, diplomatic and Head of State flights require clearance through the Ministry of External Affairs alongside the civil aviation permit process and, where applicable, defense coordination. This parallel clearance process has its own timeline, which does not compress simply because the event is significant. Delegations who have not initiated their coordination process at least one month before the planned arrival should do so immediately.

For aircraft transiting Indian airspace without landing, overflight permits are required. Standard overflight permits process in 1 working day, extends to 3 working days for restricted-origin countries.

Security Compliance During the Summit Period

India deploys enhanced security protocols around major diplomatic events. For the BRICS Summit, all passengers and crew arriving on international aircraft will be subject to standard Indian aviation security requirements, including personal frisking and hand baggage X-ray screening before entering the sterile pre-boarding area.

For delegations traveling with armed personal protection details, prior coordination with Indian customs and the Ministry of Home Affairs through the correct diplomatic channel is mandatory before arrival. E-cigarettes and satellite phones are prohibited in India and should not be carried by any passenger or crew member.

Motorcade and Ground Transportation Coordination

For principal-level movements, ground transportation is not arranged independently of the ramp operation. The motorcade staging, timing, and departure sequence from the airport to the summit venue needs to be aligned with the ramp schedule and the lounge timeline. A delegation that arrives at the aircraft door and finds the motorcade staging 20 minutes behind is experiencing a ground coordination failure, not a transportation problem.

At VVIP Flight, motorcade timing is coordinated as part of the integrated ground handling brief, not as a separate arrangement made by a different provider. This ensures that the vehicle movement and the aircraft movement run on the same timeline.

Slot and Parking Coordination During the Summit Period

Delhi airport manages general aviation slots separately from commercial operations. During the BRICS Summit period, available general aviation slots will be compressed as the airport sequences Head of State arrivals and departures across a narrow window. Operators who have not confirmed their arrival slots and parking stands well ahead of the event will face the realistic possibility of being assigned slots and stands significantly outside their preferred window.

Parking confirmation at VIDP operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Delegations planning extended stays in Delhi around the summit should confirm stand availability and planned duration with their ground handler at the earliest opportunity.

How VVIP Flight Provides VIP Ground Handling for BRICS 2026

At VVIP Flight, VIP ground handling for diplomatic and Head of State movements is managed as an integrated service. Our team coordinates the landing and overflight permit process, slot and parking confirmation, Ceremonial Lounge access, tarmac access, immigration and customs coordination, baggage handling, catering, and motorcade staging as a single operational plan with a single point of contact.

For delegations traveling to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13, we recommend beginning coordination now. Please contact our operations team at ops@vvipflight.com.

Disclaimer: Kindly note that the information provided in the above article is subject to change without prior notice. We recommend contacting our operations team for the latest regulations, updates, and accurate information before planning your trip.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is VIP ground handling at the BRICS Summit?

VIP ground handling at a diplomatic summit covers Ceremonial Lounge access, tarmac coordination, permit management, security compliance, baggage handling, and motorcade staging, all coordinated in advance as a single integrated operation.

2. Do BRICS delegation flights need special permits to land in India?

Yes. All non-scheduled foreign aircraft require a DGCA landing permit. Flights from the list of restricted countries such as China, North Korea, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Nigeria and China require 7 working days for processing. Diplomatic and Head of State flights also require Ministry of External Affairs clearance alongside the standard permit.

3. Is the BRICS Summit venue confirmed?

The 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit is scheduled in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, 2026. All major BRICS ministerial meetings in 2026 have been hosted at Bharat Mandapam. The official venue for the Leaders’ Summit has not been formally announced as of the time of writing.

4. Can armed personal protection details travel to India with BRICS delegations?

Firearms carried by personal security personnel must be declared and cleared through the correct diplomatic channel and coordinated with Indian customs and the Ministry of Home Affairs before arrival.

5. How far in advance should VIP ground handling for the BRICS Summit be arranged?

At least one month before the planned arrival date, and earlier for movements involving defense facilities or restricted-origin country permits. The permit and diplomatic clearance processes cannot be expedited after the fact.

When a business aviation aircraft lands at an airport, the experience that follows for the passengers and crew depends almost entirely on what happens on the ramp. Most travelers see none of it. The marshaller who guides the aircraft into its parking stand, the ground power unit that keeps systems running while the engines are shut down, the fueling crew, the baggage handlers, the cabin cleaners, and the team coordinating the next departure slot are all working within a defined area and a defined sequence that few people outside the industry fully understand.

This article explains what ramp operations actually involve, why they require precise coordination, and why the quality of ramp handling is one of the most consequential variables in a business aviation operation.

Understanding Ramp Operations

The ramp, also referred to as the apron, is the paved surface area of an airport where aircraft are parked, loaded, unloaded, refueled, and serviced. It is a controlled zone, separate from the terminal building and the runway, with its own access restrictions, movement rules, and safety protocols. In business aviation, the ramp is where the operational handover between the flight crew and the ground team takes place, and it is where every service the aircraft needs before its next departure is delivered.

At airports with dedicated FBO infrastructure, the ramp is managed by the FBO and services are coordinated under a single operational framework. At airports without FBO facilities, the ramp is typically managed by the airport authority or a designated ground handler, and the coordination responsibility is distributed across several parties rather than held by a single operator.

What Ramp Operations Include

Ramp operations for a business aviation aircraft cover a wide range of services, many of which run simultaneously rather than in sequence. The core activities include aircraft marshalling and parking, chocks and cones placement for aircraft safety, connection of ground power units to maintain aircraft systems while the engines are shut down, fueling coordination, baggage loading and unloading, cabin cleaning, toilet and water servicing, catering loading, and aircraft pushback or towing when the parking stand does not allow a forward engine start.

Additional ramp services that apply depending on the operation include Air Starter Units for engine starting, Air Conditioning Units to maintain cabin temperature on the ground, and ramp-to-flight-deck communication to relay ATC instructions or operational information to the crew while they are inside the aircraft.

Each of these services requires specific equipment, a trained operator, and a defined position around the aircraft. When multiple services are running at the same time, which is standard during a turnaround, the ramp team must coordinate positions, sequencing, and timing to ensure that no service creates a hazard to another and that the aircraft is ready for departure within the planned ground time.

Why Ramp Safety is a Non-Negotiable Priority

The ramp is one of the highest-risk environments in aviation from a ground safety perspective. Aircraft are moving under their own power or being towed by vehicles. Ground service equipment is operating close to aircraft surfaces where any contact can cause structural damage. Fueling creates fire and static discharge risks that require specific safety protocols. Personnel are working in an environment where communication is often conducted over noise, through radio, and across language differences.

Every ramp operation follows a defined safety protocol that includes equipment positioning rules, minimum clearance distances between vehicles and aircraft, fuel safety procedures, and personnel movement restrictions within the active ramp area. A ramp team that operates without following these protocols creates not only a safety risk to the aircraft and personnel but also an operational liability that can ground the aircraft if damage occurs.

This is why ramp handling is not a commodity service. The difference between a ramp team that follows safety protocols precisely and one that does not is not visible in the invoice. It becomes visible when something goes wrong.

How Ramp Operations Affect Departure Timing

In business aviation, schedule precision matters more than in commercial aviation. A corporate principal with a board meeting, a diplomatic mission with a protocol schedule, or a charter group with an onward connection has no buffer for a departure delay caused by a ramp coordination failure.

The most common ramp-related causes of departure delay include fueling vehicles that were not positioned before the aircraft arrived, ground power units that were not connected promptly after engine shutdown, catering that was delivered to the wrong parking stand, baggage that was loaded in the wrong sequence relative to weight and balance requirements, and pushback vehicles that were not available when the crew was ready to start engines.

Each of these is a coordination failure rather than a service failure. The service itself, fueling, catering, baggage handling, is straightforward. The failure occurs in the sequencing and timing of that service relative to the aircraft’s ground schedule.

Ramp Coordination in India: Specific Considerations

At Indian airports, ramp operations for business aviation involve coordination with multiple agencies that do not always operate on the same communication channel. The handling agent, the fuel supplier, the airport authority’s ramp control, ATC, customs, and immigration may all have a role in a single aircraft movement, and the ground handler acts as the coordination hub between all of them.

At major airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, ramp access for business aviation aircraft is controlled and requires advance coordination with the airport authority. At smaller airports, ramp access may be less formally managed, but the coordination requirement with the local airport authority is no less important. Defense airports with civil enclaves add a further layer of coordination with defense ramp control, which operates separately from the civil aviation ramp management structure.

Mumbai presents a specific ramp constraint worth noting. The 72-hour parking limitation for general aviation aircraft means that ramp planning must account for the aircraft’s departure before that window expires, regardless of the operational requirement for a longer ground stop. Mumbai Airport enforces strict compliance with approved departure slots. Any delay beyond the allocated slot may result in financial penalties, as it can adversely impact the airport’s operational planning due to limited parking availability and heavy slot congestion.  

The Role of the Ground Handler in Ramp Coordination

For most business aviation operations in India, the ground handler is the single point of coordination for all ramp services. This means the handler is responsible for confirming the parking stand with the airport authority, sequencing the arrival of ground service equipment, briefing the ramp team on the aircraft type and specific service requirements, and communicating with the crew on ground progress and departure readiness.

An experienced ground handler with established relationships with the airport authority and local service providers is able to manage this coordination efficiently, anticipating problems before they arise and resolving them before they affect the departure schedule. A handler without that experience or those relationships creates a coordination gap that the crew or flight operations team is left to fill, usually under time pressure.

How VVIP Flight Manages Ramp Operations

At VVIP Flight, ramp coordination is managed as an integrated part of the ground handling service rather than as a set of separately arranged services. Our team coordinates airport slots, parking stand confirmation, ground service equipment scheduling, fueling, baggage handling, catering, and pushback as a single sequence aligned to the aircraft’s planned ground time. For operations at defense airports or airports with specific ramp access requirements, we manage the additional coordination with the relevant defense authorities as part of the same process.

For assistance with ramp handling at any airport across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or the Maldives, please contact our operations team at ops@vvipflight.com. 

Disclaimer: Kindly note that the information provided in the above article is subject to change without prior notice. We recommend contacting our operations team for the latest regulations, updates, and accurate information before planning your trip.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the ramp in business aviation? 

The ramp, also called the apron, is the controlled paved area of an airport where aircraft are parked, refueled, loaded, and serviced between flights. It is separate from the terminal and runway and has its own access and safety protocols.

2. What services are included in ramp operations for a business aviation aircraft? 

Core ramp services include aircraft marshalling, chocks and cones placement, ground power connection, fueling, baggage handling, cabin cleaning, toilet and water servicing, catering loading, and pushback or towing. Additional services include Ground power units, air starter units, air conditioning units, and ramp-to-flight-deck communication.

3. Why is ramp safety particularly important in aviation? 

The ramp is a high-risk environment where aircraft, vehicles, and personnel operate in close proximity to the aircraft. Fueling creates fire and static discharge risks, and any contact between ground equipment and an aircraft surface can cause structural damage. Precise safety protocols govern every activity in this area.

4. What are the most common ramp-related causes of departure delay? 

The most frequent causes include fueling vehicles not positioned before arrival, ground power not connected promptly, catering delivered to the wrong stand, baggage loaded in the wrong sequence, and pushback vehicles unavailable when the crew is ready to depart.