Swissport has provided Central Load Planning services to Virgin Atlantic worldwide since May 2008 for all of Virgin Atlantic’s fleet on all services globally.

Load Planning involves calculating the weight and balance of an aircraft to ensure the aircraft flies safely and efficiently whilst maximizing payload opportunities. This data is then forwarded directly to the aircraft flight deck using ACARS (Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System). The load sheet report is generated by a small teleprinter on the flight deck, wherever the aircraft is at the time.

The service is professional, resilient, and maintained through a wide range of eventualities such as a loss of connectivity or major power failure. Safety requirements, business continuity and recovery plans are well thought through to guarantee a continuous twenty-four hour critical service to the customer in every eventuality.

Swissport has a new serviced centre, near Manchester Airport with a dedicated Central Load Planning team. The system has been built using D Plan from EDS.