Airside Under Control: A Practical International Guide to Airport Safety, Airside Operations, Ground Hazards, and Risk Control

Airports are complex operational environments where aircraft, vehicles, equipment, people, infrastructure, and time-critical activities interact every day. Keeping that environment safe requires far more than following individual rules—it requires control.
Airside Under Control is a practical international guide to airport safety, airside operations, ground hazards, and operational risk control. Written for aviation professionals, HSE practitioners, ground-handling teams, contractors, supervisors, students, and those transitioning into airport safety roles, the book explains the principles behind safe airside operations in a clear and practical way.
Inside, readers will explore:

• The airside environment and how airport operational systems work
• Roles and responsibilities of airport operators, airlines, ATC, ground handlers, contractors, and regulators
• Safety Management Systems, hazard identification, and operational risk management
• Airside access, competence, authorisation, and Airside Driving Permits
• Vehicle, pedestrian, and ground support equipment safety
• Apron operations, aircraft turnaround, pushback, towing, and aircraft movement hazards
• Runway incursions, excursions, taxiway safety, inspections, and low-visibility operations
• Foreign object debris, housekeeping, and airfield condition
• Airside construction, temporary works, permits, cranes, excavations, and infrastructure change
• Aircraft refuelling, fire prevention, dangerous goods, and hazardous materials
• Weather, lightning, heat, wind, flooding, sand, snow, and other environmental hazards
• Wildlife hazard management and strike prevention
• Human factors, fatigue, situational awareness, Just Culture, and safety leadership
• Emergency preparedness, occurrence reporting, investigation, corrective action, and organisational learning

Rather than replacing national regulations, aerodrome manuals, airline procedures, or approved operating instructions, Airside Under Control provides an international professional foundation for understanding why safety controls matter, how they interact, and how their effectiveness can be maintained in real operations.
Whether you work directly on the apron, manage airport safety, supervise contractors, operate ground equipment, study aviation, or are moving from general HSE into the aviation sector, this book provides a structured understanding of the hazards and controls that shape safe airport operations.
The central message is simple: recognise hazards early, maintain effective controls, communicate clearly, manage change, and intervene before small weaknesses develop into serious events.