Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL GUIDING THE FUTURE OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER, cilt.43, sa.2, ss.104-121, 2025 (Scopus)
The recruitment of ground handling personnel is a critical component of operational efficiency, safety, and service quality in the aviation industry. This study aims to identify and prioritize the key selection criteria for ground handling, ramp, and passenger service roles by employing the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP) by triangular fuzzy numbers, which effectively addresses uncertainty in multi-criteria decision-making. Based on comprehensive literature review and semistructured interviews with 5 HR specialists and experienced operational staff, seven primary criteria were identified: (1) foreign language proficiency, (2) field of study, (3) age, (4) interview score, (5)years of experience, (6) marital status, and (7) residential proximity to the workplace. Pairwise comparisons were conducted and analyzed using Chang’s extent analysis method within the Fuzzy AHP framework. The findings indicate that foreign language proficiency (23.61%) and interview score (21.22%) are the most influential factors, reflecting the sector's emphasis the increasing need for multilingual communication in international airport environments, adaptability, and situational awareness in high-pressure environments. This outcome demonstrates a paradigm shift in aviation human resource management, moving away from traditional demographic indicators such as marital status, age, or residential location, and towards competency-based selection criteria that directly affect operational performance.Age (16.58%) and years of experience (14.68%) follow in importance, while field of study (14.38%), residential proximity (7.20%), and marital status (2.33%) exert comparatively minor influence. These results suggest a shift in recruitment practices toward competency-based criteria over traditional demographic considerations. The study contributes to the academic literature by filling a gap in the structured evaluation of hiring priorities for ground services and offers practical guidance for aligning human resource strategies with global aviation standards.