The EASA ground handling mandate has officially landed. We all knew it was coming, but now that it’s here, what does it actually mean for operations on the ground?

From the apron to the ops room, the new EU Regulation 20/2025, published on 7 March 2025, marks a fundamental shift in how ground handling service providers are regulated at EU airports. While it won’t be fully applicable until March 2028, the countdown has begun, and Business Aviation, in particular, should be paying close attention.

This isn’t just about compliance checklists or paperwork. This is about operational readiness, legal accountability, and above all, safety.

So, what’s really changing and what lies ahead for operators, FBOs, and ground handling companies?

Let’s rewind for a moment:

• 2011: The European Commission first proposed a regulation for ground handling services.
• 2014: EASA published A-NPA 2014-12, calling for better regulation of Ground Handling Service Providers.
• 2018: Ground Handling Service Providers oversight officially lands on EASA’s roadmap.
• 2023: EASA NPA on RMT.0728 sparks industry debate.
• 2024: EASA finalises its opinion on RMT.0728.
• 2025: EC Regulation 20/2025 is adopted.

If you’re a ground handling organisation operating at one or more EU aerodromes under Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, this applies to you. Whether you’re fuelling jets, loading baggage, marshalling aircraft, or providing passenger services, you’re now part of the regulatory net.

And it doesn’t stop with ground handlers. Operators, including business jet operators, must ensure their ground service partners are compliant, trained, and operating under valid declarations.

All Ground Handling Service Providers must submit their declarations to the relevant competent authority by March 2027, one year before full application of the regulation. This could be the authority of the airport state or, for multi-country providers, where the business is headquartered.

Within five years, all declaring organisations will be subject to at least one full oversight audit.

Let’s break down some of the key requirements:

• Ground Handling Service Providers no longer need direct certification but must declare their compliance to the authority. That’s not a light commitment, it comes with expectations and obligations.
• Ground handlers must now implement a fully functional SMS, including safety risk management for contracted services.
• Every Ground Handling Service Provider needs to have a detailed Ground Handling Manual and must operate in strict accordance with it.
• Personnel must not only be trained but also demonstrate continuous competence. No more “set and forget” qualifications.
• Operators must establish written agreements with ground handlers defining who does what, how, and under which standards. In the absence of prior contracts (i.e. ad-hoc ops), the operator/pilot-in-command may contract ground services, but the operator must still ensure SMS integration and oversight.

Operators have a critical role under the new rules. They must ensure that third-party handlers follow the operator’s procedures, or that the Ground Handling Service Provider’s own procedures are:

• Agreed upon and documented,
• Declared and compliant,
• Based on recognised industry standards.

Operators must take a risk-based approach to selecting ground handlers and ensure they’re integrated into safety management and compliance monitoring.

This is particularly vital in Business Aviation, where ad-hoc ops, and small FBOs are the norm rather than the exception.

This may seem like regulatory overload, but in reality, the new regulation is not just another EASA rulebook. The new framework provides clarity, consistency, and a stronger safety net. If approached proactively, it’s a turning point worth watching, as well as a chance for Business Aviation to raise the bar, streamline partnerships, and reduce risk without unnecessary costs.