february2021 - 17

Photo courtesy of Mercury GSE

COVER STORY

rative discussion and analysis from both parties is critical in order to avoid clutter while
ensuring efficient ramp operations. "
What's more, regular preventative maintenance service can reduce GSE downtime.
" Because most of these machines are used
anywhere from eight to 16 hours a day, it's
important to ensure that all service and maintenance are up-to-date. This limits excess
GSE and poor allocation of resources, " says
Hanafi.
" Lastly, there are areas on the airfield where
ramp managers park their equipment when it
is not in use or when there is equipment that
has been taken out of service, " she continues.
" Equipment that is out-of-service is normally
red-tagged to indicate the need for attendance.
This is just one of the ways ramp handlers
avoid any unnecessary clutter on the ramp. "
Jan De Leeuw, managing director for North
America at TCR, notes delays in preventative
maintenance can prove costly.
" In the long run, it's not helpful. In the
short-term, you might cut some corners or
save a penny here or there. You're really saving
the penny, but losing the pounds afterwards, "
De Leeuw says. " It increases the reliability of
the equipment and you have much less chance
of having a break-down of the equipment and
all the consequences that come with that. "
Advancements in telematics are allowing
ground handlers and GSE maintenance personnel to keep equipment running efficiently.
De Leeuw explains telematics provide efficiency in terms of allowing the dispatch room
to find assets that may be scattered around a
large airport. Telematics also provide access
control to the GSE units themselves and
bring accountability to the users operating
the equipment on crowded ramps.

" A lot of damage happens when GSE is
being used in an improper way. People just
don't care about it or people use somebody
else's ground support equipment. Or damage
occurs when GSE is being moved around the
stand, or is being moved around from one terminal to another terminal, " De Leeuw says.
" By bringing that down, we see the damage
to ground support equipment decreases
dramatically. "
When it comes to avoiding congestion
around the gate, right sizing a GSE fleet offers
many benefits. According to De Leeuw, TCR
focuses on the number of pieces of GSE at
an airport and helps ground handlers determine if they can operate with less equipment,
thereby delivering more space for ground support personnel to operate.
" There is very often too much, " De Leeuw
says in regard to GSE fleets.
" You have this conflict or tension between
the operational guys who need to deliver
the punctual departure of the flight - the
safe departure and turnaround of the flight.
They need the equipment, and they need it
in a good state. And if they don't have it in a
good state, they want another piece to make
sure they have sufficient GSE to handle their
operation, " he continues. " On the other side,
there is the financing people who are often on
the brakes. The key to solving this dilemma is
increasing the availability level of GSE, which
is a direct consequence of proper GSE maintenance planning and execution. "
According to Hanafi, the biggest factor
that must be considered when determining
the correct size for a GSE fleet is the volume
of flights per day that a ground handling operation expects to see.
" The higher the number of flights expected,
the greater the quantity of equipment in
demand, " says Hanafi, adding it is crucial
to distinguish between cargo and passenger flights, so the proper types of GSE are
available.
" Another important factor is the distance
of two aircrafts when parked on the ground
between take-off and landing. If it's difficult
to move GSE in between flights, it's advisable
to position additional GSE to minimize any
disruptions. Flights can be losing thousands
of dollars for any flight delays that they see.
Because of that, it is critical to avoid as many
unforeseen delays as possible. "

Depending on how the airport is designed,
different types of GSE may be able to boost
efficiencies and help ground personnel work
around constraints.
" That can be important when planning on
fuel trucks versus hydrants or mobile versus
fixed GPUs, " Hanafi explains. " Depending on
the length of the ground handling contract,
ground handlers can plan on whether renting
or purchasing GSE would be a better fit.
" Ultimately, the layout of the airport, the
budget of the ground handling company and
the number of ground handling contracts a
ground handler has at an airport will all play
a critical role in determining the best process
for GSE planning. "
While TCR works with multiple equipment
manufacturers, to help ensure equipment
availability De Leeuw says the company seeks
partners who have a reliable product and good
after-sales service.
" When we bring new GSE into a certain
airport, we will always strive towards standardization, " he adds.
Beyond standardization, TCR has also
assisted its customers with GSE common
pooling programs.
" In terms of pooling, it's obvious that there
are efficiencies to be taken on all levels, " De
Leeuw says.
Gamba notes that more than ever, pooling
is becoming a topic of conversation between
airports and ground handlers.
" It can be quite daunting and quite complex
to try and make the best use of GSE, especially
when you have three or four or five ground
handlers using different pieces at different
times, " he says. " The question that is becoming more and more recurrent is should that
be owned by the airport as a function of
the traffic and used by the ground handler,
rather than the ground handler having its own
equipment?
" This is an essential question that also
probably would have an impact on how an
airport should be either designed or redesigned in order to maximize the use of GSE, "
Gamba points out, while noting common
pooling could be a way to minimize an airport's carbon footprint as well.
Whether running as a standalone operation
or as part of common pooling program, proper
GSE management improves efficiencies and
assist with reducing ramp constraints.

FEBRUARY 2021

AviationPros.com

http://www.AviationPros.com

february2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of february2021