EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Airport
When coming in to start my shift today; there were two ERJ-145 aircraft parked on spots and instead of the portable stairs attached to the aircraft; they had the ramps that are used to assist people with mobility issues. Each of the five parking spots on the hardstand has both stairs and ramps available. It seemed to me that the ramp is a much safer way to get passengers on and off the aircraft; especially at night when the lighting around the hardstand is not the greatest. Using the ramp on every flight instead of the stairs and the need to store both outside the Operational Safety Zone would free up room to better stage other equipment.
Ground personnel reported that the use of boarding ramps instead of stairs improves efficiency.