Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Other / Unknown; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Confusion; Training / Qualification
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Incursion Ramp
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
Taxiing to Z10 in the Z concourse at ZZZ we entered the ramp area without checking in with Ramp Control due to our confusion with ground clearances instructions. We were waiting on Y Taxiway to taxi to our gate and instructed by Ground Control to 'follow an aircraft ahead into West (the ramp area leading to our gate).' Usually these instructions are followed by 'contact Ramp Control.' However today we did not get those instructions. We followed preceding aircraft into West. I stopped on the north taxi lane without pulling into our gate and instructed my FO to check in with Ramp Control to make sure were cleared in. They in turn informed us that we needed to get clearance to enter the ramp and 'that Company A has been entering the ramp without clearance all week.' Hopefully this report will stop a clearly recurring problem. Maybe our confusion with ground controls clearance isn't only unique to us. We operate at many airports with Ramp Control and I can attest that there are standard instructions that we as pilots look for as cues such as being told to 'contact ramp control' before entering ramp. Compounding my confusion is the non-standard operations at airports because of COVID where air traffic is down; and Ramp Control has been frequently out of service. I thought I did the right thing by stopping to query my instructions. I admit I'm still getting used to the Z concourse procedures at ZZZ having operated at ZZZ even before all the construction. I should have queried earlier right at the boundary of the ramp and relayed the instructions I was following. Also; we observed another Company A aircraft read back the wrong instructions going into the West Ramp Control. They were told to taxi Y to West. The pilots read back 'taxi to the gate.' Which is incorrect because they were told to taxi to the ramp area not straight to the gate. Not sure if they were able to follow the instructions correctly. I'm more aware and learned from this experience and will be more vigilant going into ZZZ in the future.
Air carrier Captain reported entering the ramp without contacting ramp control and cited as contributing a confusing clearance and non-standard operations at airports where ramp control is frequently out of service due to COVID-19.