INTERNATIONAL The Factors Faced by Eastern Europe's GHSPs Specific features in the region compounded by a drop in air traffic have posed certain challenges for ground handlers. T he aviation industry was impacted in an unprecedented way by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was entirely unexpected and has specifically affected aircraft ground handling. Ground services in the eastern part of Europe have some defining features, All photos courtesy of Czech Airlines Handling By Mario Pierobon 26 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE MARCH 2021 including the fact that airports often own the ground handling companies and the eminent role played by the low-cost carriers (LCCs) in the business, which have a different approach to ground handling compared to legacy carriers.