Aviation Operations on the Ground (4877)

Last Updated: 03 Mar 2021
These qualifications will allow you to prove your skills working in an airport - whether at the departure gate or in the terminal. You'll build on your communications and operational skills and show you have the underlying knowledge needed for your particular role.
The Diplomas in Aviation Operations on the Ground are for anybody working in an airport in ground operations, you will however need a current work placement to complete this qualification.

The Certificate in De-Icing Aircraft is for anyone who works in airport ground operations or in another role that involves de-icing aircraft, It gives you the opportunity to prove your skills in de-icing aircraft, field testing aircraft de-icing fluids and carrying out pre and post de-icing checks. You don't need any prior qualifications to take this Certificate.
Available to deliver in the following:
  • England
  • Wales – please check QiW website for available funding
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form. 

General Information

What Is Involved In Studying This Course?

You will cover things like:

  • Airport baggage handler
  • Passenger check-in
  • Load planning
  • Passenger services supervising.
The qualification will be assessed by practical performance and portfolio of evidence.

Which level is right for me?

Level 2
You work in an airport in ground operations and have some knowledge and basic skills. You want to gain a formal qualification which recognises your skills and develop your existing knowledge to take on more responsibility at work.

Level 3
You've been working in ground operations for some time - you have plenty of experience and you might already have some supervisory or management responsibilities. You want a formal qualification that could help you move into a management role.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

The Diplomas in Aviation Operations on the Ground can help you progress in a wide range of airport roles including manning a check-in desk, working with aircraft ramps, or co-ordinating ground operations for an airport.

What Is Involved With Delivering This Course?
In order to offer these qualifications, you will need qualified assessors; you can train internal members of staff or recruit specially.

You will also need suitable facilities to carry out the required training to enable learners to achieve industry standards.

Learners do not need any previous experience. To find all the resource requirements, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

Level 2

This level will suit you if you work in an airport in ground operations and have some knowledge and basic skills. You want to gain a formal qualification that recognises your skills and develop your existing knowledge to take on more responsibility at work.

There are two qualifications available at this level:

  • Level 2 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground
  • Level 2 Certificate in De-icing Aircraft.

To gain the diploma, you'll need eight mandatory credits plus 29 optional credits from the following routes:

  • Providing airside ramp services
  • Providing safe airside operations (airports)
  • Supporting aircraft operations
  • Handling air passengers
  • General.

The certificate requires that you complete three core units:

  • De-icing aircraft on the ground
  • Field test aircraft de-icing fluid
  • Carry out pre and post de-icing checks.

For full details, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

The Diplomas in Aviation Operations on the Ground can help you progress in a wide range of airport roles including manning a check-in desk, working with aircraft ramps, or co-ordinating ground operations for an airport.

Level 2 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground (4877-02)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2023

Level 2 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground - General

  • Accreditation No: 501/0865/7 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 312 - 1796 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2025 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £106.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3

The Level 3 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground is ideal if you've been working in ground operations for some time - you have plenty of experience and you might already have some supervisory or management responsibilities. You want a formal qualification that could help you move into a management role.

You'll need to complete 16 mandatory credits plus 21 optional credits from the following routes:

  • Planning aircraft payloads
  • Airside ramp ops
  • Aircraft operations
  • Airside operations
  • Airport operations (small airports)
  • Handling air passenger operations
  • General.

For full details about units, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

The Diplomas in Aviation Operations on the Ground can help you progress in a wide range of airport roles including manning a check-in desk, working with aircraft ramps, or co-ordinating ground operations for an airport.

Level 3 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground (4877-03)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2023

Level 3 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground - Aircraft Operations

  • Accreditation No: 501/0844/X This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 251 - 292 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £148.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground - Airport Operations (Small airports)

  • Accreditation No: 501/0844/X This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 251 - 292 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £148.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground - Airside Operations

  • Accreditation No: 501/0844/X This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 251 - 292 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £148.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground - Airside Ramp Ops

  • Accreditation No: 501/0844/X This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 251 - 292 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £148.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground - General

  • Accreditation No: 501/0844/X This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 251 - 292 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £148.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground - Handling Air Passengers

  • Accreditation No: 501/0844/X This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 251 - 292 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £148.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3 Diploma in Aviation Operations on the Ground - Planning Aircraft Payloads

  • Accreditation No: 501/0844/X This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 251 - 292 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £148.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Here you can find all documents related to this suite of qualifications.

By clicking on the section headings below, you can access a variety of documents such as the qualification handbooks and assessment materials, Statements of Purpose, and recognition letters from industry and employers.

Some documents may be password protected. Passwords can be retrieved by logging in to Walled Garden and visiting the Administration section of the relevant qualification catalogue page.

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form. 

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