Prioritizing Recruitment Criteria for Ground Handling Personnel in Aviation Using the Fuzzy AHP Method: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach.

The recruitment of ground handling personnel is a critical component of operational efficiency, safety, and servicequality 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 semi-structured interviews with 5 HR specialists and experienced operational staff, seven primary criteria were identified: (1) foreignlanguage proficiency, (2) field of study, (3) age, (4) interview score, (5)years of experience, (6) marital status, and (7) residentialproximity to the workplace. Pairwise comparisons were conducted and analyzed using Chang’s extent analysis method withinthe Fuzzy AHP framework. The findings indicate that foreign language proficiency (23.61%) and interview score (21.22%) arethe most influential factors, reflecting the sector's emphasis the increasing need for multilingual communication in internationalairport environments, adaptability, and situational awareness in high-pressure environments. This outcome demonstrates aparadigm shift in aviation human resource management, moving away from traditional demographic indicators such as maritalstatus, age, or residential location, and towards competency-based selection criteria that directly affect operationalperformance.Age (16.58%) and years of experience (14.68%) follow in importance, while field of study (14.38%), residentialproximity (7.20%), and marital status (2.33%) exert comparatively minor influence. These results suggest a shift in recruitmentpractices toward competency-based criteria over traditional demographic considerations. The study contributes to the academicliterature by filling a gap in the structured evaluation of hiring priorities for ground services and offers practical guidance foraligning human resource strategies with global aviation standards.