Over the last month or so, the industry has welcomed back both inter airport Europe in Munich and the GSE Expo 2021 in Las Vegas. The latter, held between 5 and 7 October, attracted more than 2,600 registrants from 19 countries, as well as 195 exhibitors. inter airport Europe meanwhile brought in more than 10,000 attendees (of which 5,100 were trade visitors) when it made its welcome return to the airside sector’s exhibition programme in mid-November.

This issue sees Airside talk to many of those who exhibited at either or both of those events. Some of them offer their latest news in the features covering airfield ground lighting, GSE total cost of ownership and snow clearance.

Plus, we meet with Weihai Guangtai, which celebrated its 30th anniversary recently, as well as COBUS and TCR who were keen to demonstrate their ongoing collaboration at the GSE Expo.

GSE supplier Rushlift explains its current growth trajectory, while another GSE provider, AVIACO, was in Munich showing off its latest service offering: collaborating with partner XYZ Dynamics, it can take customers’ diesel-powered GSE and covert the equipment to a more sustainable battery-powered option.

On the subject of greener operations, Bristol Airport and easyJet discuss their co-operation in ongoing trials of using (as far as is possible) only electric GSE to turn around some of the low-cost carrier’s services at the west of England gateway.

Meanwhile, VINCI Airports has partnered with Airbus and Air Liquide to promote the use of hydrogen as a power source for GSE and other on-airport vehicles, with Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport to act as a testbed, and Air France is involved in trials of the OROK autonomous electric cargo transport unit at Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport.

Australia-based GSE manufacturer OEM Group discusses an important acquisition it recently made, while ATS explains its innovative alternative to conventional aircraft taxiing across the ramp, and we also learn about Evitado’s imaginative collision avoidance system for aircraft on the ground.

Elsewhere, Greg Zaharewicz from global advisory, restructuring and investment firm Gordon Brothers, talks about a developing aspect of the GSE business – auctions of equipment to the highest bidder.

Finally, we chat with Lee Coon, a very well-known name in the GSE business who is soon to retire. He tells us about his career and just how much he has enjoyed working in this industry of ours.