PHL CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING RAMP CTL OPS DURING START UP AND CLOSE DOWN TIME PERIODS.

Narrative

PHL RAMP CTL AND PHL INTL TWR HAVE A LETTER OF AGREEMENT (LOA) OUTLINING HOW AND WHEN THE RAMP IS TO BE RELEASED TO THE TWR AT NIGHT AND OPENED IN THE MORNING. RAMP CTL IS NOT FOLLOWING THE LOA. AT PRESENT; WHEN RAMP CTL CALLS TO CLOSE; FOR EXAMPLE; AND THE TWR SAYS WAIT 5 MINS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO BUSY TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RAMP; RAMP CTL WILL SHUT DOWN; STOP ANSWERING CALLS; NOT ONLY FROM ITS OWN ACFT; BUT FROM OTHER COMPANIES. RAMP CTL TELLS THEIR ACFT TO CALL GND CTL. THIS IS DONE WITHOUT GND CTL BEING TOLD ANYTHING. THERE IS NO BRIEFING ACCOMPLISHED AND IS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY OTHER ITINERATE ACFT CALLING GND CTL BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET RAMP WHEN GND STILL THINKS THE RAMP IS OPEN. THIS IS DANGEROUS. THE LOA NEEDS TO BE REWRITTEN AND ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY; RESPONSIBILITIES SHOULD BE SPELLED OUT; A CTL BRIEFING SHOULD BE MANDATORY. THE TWR NEEDS TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES; PEOPLE; IN THE CAB; UNTIL THIS CALL IS ACCOMPLISHED. IF ACR X WILL NOT PAY ITS PEOPLE TO STAY UNTIL WE CAN TAKE THE RAMP SAFELY; THEN THE FAA SHOULD MAKE SURE THERE IS ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE TWR TO ACCOMMODATE THIS PHONE CALL AND BRIEFING.