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Spring 2020

issue 49

Welcome to the Spring 2020 issue of Airside International, whose theme is the environmental impact of airport apron operations and how that impact can be mitiugated. In particular, the conversion of GSE to electric power is a frequent feature within the pages of this magazine.

In Megan Ramsay’s examination of the changing world of high lifts and loaders, she looks at how suppliers of these specialised forms of GSE are increasingly moving to electric-powered options for environmentally conscious customers.

Meanwhile, Goldhofer has supplied one of its F11e electric tugs into a local German gateway, indicating that suppliers of many other types of GSE are seeing increasing demand for non fossil-fuel-powered equipment.

Airports and airlines are playing their part too; we have seen Etihad Airways and Brussels Airport collaborate recently on a special ‘eco-flight’ between the capitals of the UAE and Belgium, while dnata has turned around a flydubai flight at Dubai International Airport using only what it describes as ‘zero-emissions’ GSE.

Elsewhere, autonomy is another subject of investigation this Spring. Rob Coppinger investigates the potential of electric autonomous vehicles, while the editor was at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport to see the first public display of an autonomous baggage tractor demonstrating its capabilities on the French airport’s apron.

Also recently, Aurrigo – best known for its autonomous baggage dolly that has undergone trials at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 – has developed a system to alert a dolly driver to unsecured baggage: a not insignificant problem on the ramp.

Numerous other technological developments are considered in this issue of Airside. Transpoco has worked closely with manufacturer Schmidt on a bespoke de-icing monitoring solution for Dublin Airport Authority, while Israel’s hoopo looks at the way asset visibility technology can be used to improve the efficiency of airside operations.

Fascinating work is being done by Sarcos Robotics of the US on easing the burden for workers in the aviation and other industries that need to move heavy loads on a regular basis. It is collaborating with Delta Air Lines on applications that might be of interest to the US carrier as regards its innovative Guardian XO exoskeleton.

Tri-Logical Technologies is offering GSE operators another weapon in their fight against ramp rash – collisions on the ramp involving GSE and aircraft – while a number of GSE suppliers have announced new product designs or improvements to existing lines. Mallaghan, for example, is to supply a large number of customised maintenance platform lifts (MPLs) to Delta, while Western Global is now marketing a range of transportable fuel tanks designed with the demands of the aviation industry in mind.

Finally, we talk to both ADELTE and Aviramp about the world of the airport boarding bridge and aircraft access infrastructure, while ramp training procedures and GSE leasing form two of the subjects of the bigger feature pieces within this issue.

We hope you enjoy the issue.

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Take A Peek

Featured in this issue

  • ANA tests electric apron bus at Haneda

    Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) has trialled a new, autonomous electric bus at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport as part of ongoing efforts to improve sustainability The trials at the Japan...

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  • Autonomous baggage tractor displays its capabilities

    In December, Airside International was at France’s Toulouse-Blagnac Airport to witness the first public demonstration of the AUTONOM TRACT AT135 autonomous baggage handling unit, based on GSE suppli...

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  • Bridging the technological gap

    Barcelona, Spain-based ADELTE is a leading supplier of passenger boarding bridges (PBBs) and is well ahead of the curve on the technological developments relating to this aspect of airside operations ...

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  • dnata handles first ‘fully green’ turnaround

    Dubai-based ground services provider dnata is keen to minimise its environmental footprint. As evidence of this, in December it handled its first ever fully-electric-GSE serviced commercial aircraft t...

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  • Etihad boosts its green credentials at Brussels

    Etihad Airways recently operated what it describes as an ‘eco-flight’ to Brussels Airport as it continues to step up its efforts to ‘go green’. The Belgian gateway is also making strides in th...

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  • Goldhofer delivers new all-electric tug to local partner

    German GSE manufacturer Goldhofer has sold one of its all-electric F110e pushbacks to local gateway Memmingen Airport  Lothar Holder, CEO at Goldhofer AG and head of its airport technology divisio...

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  • Innovation in aircraft access

    Aviramp is a supplier of a particularly distinctive type of aircraft access system. The Telford, UK-based company offers a range of mobile, walk-through boarding bridges for narrowbody and widebody ai...

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  • Keeping things locked down

    Aurrigo, the Coventry, UK-based company that developed an autonomous baggage dolly trialled at London Heathrow, has launched a new product – the Transport Safety System (TSS) – designed to end the...

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  • Loaders go electric

    Climate change – and the contribution of flights to global CO2 emissions – is top of the agenda across the aviation industry. And that includes the ground operations at today’s ever-busier airpo...

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  • Mallaghan wins big US order

    Northern Ireland-based GSE manufacturer Mallaghan has inked a deal with US carrier Delta Air Lines for the provision of customised maintenance platform lifts (MPLs). The multi-million-dollar contra...

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  • Optimising runway de-icing operations

    Transpoco, a Dublin, Ireland-based telematics and aviation fleet management software provider, has developed a bespoke de-icing monitoring solution for a major airport client – Dublin Airport Author...

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  • Playing the long game

    Competitive life cycle costs and reductions in environmentally harmful emissions are encouraging the adoption of electric GSE, but the process of introducing fully autonomous vehicles will be a long j...

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  • Preventing aircraft damage through collision avoidance

    The BodyGuard system from Israel’s Tri-Logical Technologies offers GSE operators another option in their fight to minimise aircraft damage caused by unwanted contact with ramp assets Many of the ...

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  • Sarcos technology offers potential for baggage handlers

    Delta Air Lines is working with the US company Sarcos Robotics as it investigates possible airport-related applications of the Guardian XO robotic exoskeleton Guardian XO (the ‘XO’ derives from...

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  • Training for optimum performance

    In order to get the best out of any GSE, operators need to know the equipment; that is why so many GSE suppliers put training at the heart of their product and service offerings German GSE supplier...

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  • Using asset visibility technology to improve airport ground operations

    Ittay Hayut is the co-founder and CEO of hoopo, a provider of low-power, wide-area (LPWA) monitoring and tracking solutions. He tells Airside of four ways in which such technology can assist with airp...

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  • Western Global offers flexible fuelling options

    Last year, Western Global, the Bristol, UK-headquartered manufacturer of portable tanks and dispensing equipment for the storage and handling of fuels and lubricants, launched a new range of transport...

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