GSE buyer interview

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NAS is growing fast. From its introduction as the first private ground handler at Kuwait International Airport, it has expanded steadily to now operate across 10 different gateways in Kuwait, Jordan, the UAE and India. Its client carriers include some of the world’s biggest carriers, airlines such as British Airways (IAG), Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, United and Turkish.

When it comes to GSE, the handler’s fleet takes in “just about everything you can think of”, says Bruce Richterkessing, global chief operating officer for NAS. From apron buses to pushback tractors and passenger stairs, from GPUs and starter units to forklifts and maindeck loaders, the handler pretty much has it all, he notes.

While its extensive inventory of equipment is obviously added to on an as-needs-be basis – when NAS starts up at a new station, for example, or is required to handle an additional carrier or extra flight frequencies at a current location – it also assesses its GSE replacement needs on at least an annual basis.

Fleet replacement is an ongoing consideration, but the decision-making process is mostly concentrated in NAS’s budgeting period of late summer/early autumn, Richterkessing says, when factors such as the recorded age of GSE units and the previous year’s maintenance log for all units are considered when assessing replacement requirements.

“Of course, we try to get the maximum utilisation out of our equipment,” he says, “as long as it is economically viable (taking into account any increasing costs of maintenance) to do so.” And, when it comes to ensuring a long life for GSE units, “It’s all about maintenance,” Richterkessing notes.

NAS conducts most of its own maintenance in-house and makes use of IBM’s sophisticated Maximo inventory maintenance and lifecycle management software to get the most from its GSE. Maximo is “a big investment, but well worth it”, he believes.

Special needs

When it comes to choosing the right GSE, there’s a lot to bear in mind, for NAS as for any handler. The company has two, or maybe three, preferred suppliers in each class of GSE, Richterkessing informs, pointing out that concentrating on a limited line of different vehicle and equipment types not only saves on maintenance costs but also will mean greater reliability, easier training requirements and improved safety levels. “That doesn’t mean we don’t look at new lines of equipment as they become available,” he declares, but there are significant benefits to standardising on a limited number of manufacturers and their specific product ranges.

NAS has some equipment requirements that are perhaps fairly distinct to this particular handler, functions of its business model and operating environment. Given its work in the Middle East especially, heat and dust are big problems. NAS’s GSE has to be able to stand up to the ongoing wear and tear that results from these practically ever-present environmental factors, hence Richterkessing’s preference – for instance – for certain specifications of engine type that can cope with harsh climate conditions. NAS doesn’t modify equipment itself: “We find the right specification that suits us and go with that,” he informs.

NAS handles wide-bodies and narrow-bodied aircraft, so the range of GSE it acquires and uses varies widely, from small towable ground power units to big, maindeck loaders and truck-mounted air-conditioning and starter units. All of the equipment is very robust, a not-unimportant consideration given the quality of some of the service roads on which NAS’s equipment must move.

Moreover, “I’m a big believer in ‘you get what you pay for’,” Richterkessing says. While the initial investment may be a little higher, opting for high-quality GSE that can stand the rigours of both the harsh operating climate and rough roads means long-term savings, not least in terms of lower ongoing maintenance costs, he believes.

Another major consideration in the GSE procurement process can be a specific customer requirement. For example, many carriers are now insisting their handlers meet certain criteria relating to minimising the impact of their operations on the environment. The ‘green’ factor will thus be important, and the move, for example, towards electrically powered equipment is growing in momentum at NAS as well as at other handlers around the world.

Finally, it’s important to see what the competition is up to, Richterkessing says. Carrier clients, actual and potential, will come to an NAS station to assess its GSE inventory, and it has to square up not only on its own merits but against those of the competition. After all, he concludes: “Along with their human resources, the backbone of a handler is its GSE.”

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