Quick Turn at Innsbruck (LOWI)

What changes at Innsbruck?

Innsbruck sits at 1907 feet elevation in the Inn valley, hemmed by the Nordkette and Patscherkofel ranges. The single runway—08/26, 2000 metres—requires Category C crew authorisation from Austro Control and either simulator or on-site VMC training for the special approach and departure procedures. Business jets may operate only between 06:30 and 20:00 local; the curfew runs 23:00 to 06:00 local (22:00–05:00 UTC in winter, 21:00–04:00 UTC in summer), and jets are not permitted outside the 06:30–20:00 window. That short operating day means most aircraft arriving in the afternoon or evening are parked overnight until the following morning.

The airport is slot-coordinated year-round, escalating to Level 3 on winter Saturdays and Sundays and on 2 and 9 January, when all IFR flights must be coordinated. Winter ski traffic drives the seasonal peak; slot pressure eases in summer but coordination remains Level 2 on winter weekdays and throughout the warmer months. VFR movements follow a prior-permission-required procedure. Handling agents present at the airport operate from the General Aviation Center, 4 kilometres from Innsbruck city centre. For a quick turn, every element—slot, handler notification, airside escort and stand assignment—must be confirmed before the inbound departs its origin.

What happens during the turnaround?

The cabin is vacuumed and all horizontal surfaces wiped down; seats, armrests, seatback pockets and tables are checked and cleaned. Galley counters, sinks and any visible appliance fronts are wiped, bins emptied and restocked with supplies you provide or have staged. The lavatory is cleaned, restocked and deodorised, and all waste is bagged and removed. Cockpit and cabin windows are cleaned from inside using streak-free product safe for anti-reflective coatings and tinted panes.

Outside, the nose, windscreen, leading edges of the wings and the area around the entry door receive a waterless wipe to remove dust, insect residue and light soiling picked up on the inbound leg. This is a dry-wash or rinseless method that leaves no standing water and requires no rinse; it refreshes the aircraft's appearance without the time or ramp-access complications of a full exterior wash. All cabin trash and galley waste are removed from the aircraft and disposed of according to the handler's procedures.

Work begins as soon as the aircraft is on stand and the handler signals that the apron is clear for third-party crew. On a super-midsize cabin the turnaround takes about 45 minutes; an ultra-long-range layout with multiple zones, a full galley and two lavatories may require 90 minutes. The target is to have the aircraft ready before the outbound passengers arrive, with every surface reset and no visible evidence of the previous leg.

How does documentation work at a slot-coordinated airport?

Every quick turn is recorded in a digital report sent within an hour of completion. The report lists the work performed, the products used, any cabin discrepancies noted—torn upholstery, loose fittings, missing placards—and time on and off the aircraft. Photographs document the cabin before work begins and after the reset, the galley and lavatory after cleaning, and the exterior areas that were wiped. The before-and-after sequence provides a clear record for your tech log and for any question that arises from passengers or the flight department.

At Innsbruck the short operating window and slot coordination mean that timing drives everything. If a discrepancy is found—a broken latch, a stain that won't lift, a galley drawer that won't close—it is photographed, noted in the report and communicated immediately by phone or message so that the captain and dispatcher can decide whether it affects dispatch. The report is filed as a PDF and remains available for audit or insurance purposes. For aircraft on a recurring schedule through the airport, reports accumulate into a service history that shows when each turnaround was performed, what was found and how long the work took.

Do you work with the handler or separately?

Terso arrives as a third-party detailing crew, not as part of the handling agent's staff. The handler remains responsible for all ground services—GPU, stairs, towing, fuelling, de-icing if required, passenger transport—and for ramp safety and coordination with the tower. We coordinate with the handler to confirm when the aircraft is ready for cleaning, when the apron is clear and when the outbound passengers will arrive. The handler provides or arranges the airside escort if required by the airport authority; we carry our own supplies, equipment and waste bags.

This separation keeps roles clear: the handler manages the aircraft's operational needs and the slot, while the detailing crew manages the cabin and exterior appearance. Communication happens through the captain, the handling agent's ramp supervisor or the flight-department manager, depending on how the trip is structured. For a one-off quick turn the handler is notified at the time of booking; for a recurring schedule—such as a charter operator running a weekly rotation through Innsbruck during ski season—the handler is notified once and the standing arrangement is noted in their system and ours.

Can a quick turn be added to a recurring winter schedule?

A recurring winter schedule at Innsbruck makes sense for any operator running regular ski charters or shuttle flights between December and March. The quick turn is booked as a standing order: every Thursday inbound, every Saturday departure, or whatever the rotation requires. The handler is notified once, the airside access is arranged in advance, and the detailing crew is on site and ready as each aircraft arrives on stand. Invoicing is monthly, and the digital report for each turnaround is sent to the same distribution list.

Recurring work also means that the detailing crew becomes familiar with the specific aircraft—cabin layout, galley configuration, any quirks with latches or window seals—and with the flight department's preferences for stocking, scent and how the cockpit is left. If the rotation changes—an extra flight added, a slot moved, a different tail number substituted—the standing order is updated and the handler notified. The winter peak at Innsbruck is predictable and slot-coordinated; a recurring turnaround arrangement removes one variable from each day's dispatch puzzle.

What do you need from the crew?

We need the aircraft type, the inbound and outbound slot times, and confirmation that the handler has been notified. If you want galley or lavatory restocking, tell us what to stage or provide the supplies on board in a marked bag. If there are no-touch areas in the cabin—a specific avionics panel, a custom veneer, a owner's personal items—brief us before we start or mark them with a placard. Any special requests—extra attention to the galley, a deeper vacuum in the aft cabin, a particular scent or no scent—should be noted at the time of booking.

On the day, the captain or handler should signal when the aircraft is ready and when we need to be off. If the outbound departure is tight, let us know; we will prioritise the cabin and galley and leave the exterior wipe for last, or skip it if the slot is at risk. If a discrepancy is found and photographed, we expect a quick decision on whether it affects dispatch or can be deferred. The more predictable the communication, the smoother the turnaround and the less chance of a delay eating into your slot margin.