Handling agent
A handling agent is the company that arranges everything an aircraft needs at an airport where the operator has no staff: parking, fuel, customs and immigration, slot and PPR requests, crew transport and hotel bookings, catering and passenger meet-and-greet. Outside North America, where FBOs dominate, handling agents such as Universal, Jetex, ExecuJet and local firms are the norm, and at large commercial airports they are often mandatory. Their fees, plus the airport's own charges, appear as handling on your invoice and can run from $500 at a small European field to $5,000 or more at a major Asian or Middle Eastern hub. The quality of the agent shapes how smooth your arrival feels.