Commercial Fixed Wing
Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors; Weather
I observed the use of a [galley service] truck during a ground stop due to lightning; park an aircraft. This method of operation I feel is unsafe since an aircraft is being parked without the use of chocks; hooked up to push tractor and the loading bridge is able to approach the aircraft.  We had an incident two days prior where during a ground stop due to lightning the catering truck parked an Airbus and about 8 minutes after arrival the pilot released the brakes and the aircraft rolled back about 5 feet while passengers were exiting the aircraft. The only thing stopping the aircraft was the fact that the 1L door was pinned up against the loading bridge. Somebody could have been seriously hurt walking off the plane by getting pinned or falling to the the ground at ramp level.  The company is putting passengers and crew in danger of allowing this operation to continue since there is always the possibility of the brakes being released while an aircraft is not chocked or connected to a push tractor.
A ramp person reports that his company's practice of marshalling aircraft from a catering truck during a lightning storm is unsafe since chocks are not installed and the aircraft may roll if the Captain releases the parking brake.