Ground support equipment at airports includes powered equipment like fuel trucks, tugs, pushback tractors, and lavatory service vehicles as well as non-powered equipment such as dollies, belts, chocks, and tow bars. This equipment provides essential functions like refueling, towing, and servicing aircraft on the ground to support flight operations.
2. Ground Support Equipment (GSE) is the support
equipment found at an airport to support the
operations of aircraft whilst on the ground.
The functions this equipment plays generally involve
ground power operations, aircraft mobility, and loading
operations (for both cargo and passengers).
TYPES OF GROUND POWER EQUIPMENT:
POWERED EQUIPMENT
NON-POWERED EQUIPMENT
3. Forklifts are used to carry pallets especially
when ground handling operations deal with
freight.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
4. Aircraft Refuelers can be either a self-contained fuel truck, or a
hydrant truck or cart.
Fuel trucks are self-contained, typically containing up to 10,000
US gallons of fuel and have their own pumps, filters, hoses, and
other equipment.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
5. Tugs & Tractors: The tugs and tractors at an airport have several
purposes and represent the essential part of ground support services.
They are used to move all equipment that can not move itself. This
includes bag carts, mobile air conditioning units, air starters, and
lavatory carts.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
6. Push-back Tractors are a good alternative to tow aircrafts
as tow- bars are not always required.
On the other hand, these devices are much more
expensive than universal tractors coupled with tow-bars.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
7. A ground power unit (GPU) is a vehicle capable of
supplying power to aircraft parked on the ground.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
8. Buses are used to move people from the terminal to
either an aircraft or another terminal.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
9. Container loaders, also known as cargo loaders or "K
loaders", are used for the loading and unloading of
containers and pallets into and out of aircraft.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
10. Potable Water Trucks are special vehicles that provide reliability and
consistency in the delivery of quality water to an aircraft.
The water is filtered and protected from the elements while being stored
on the vehicle.
A pump in the vehicle assists in moving the water from the truck to the
aircraft.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
11. Lavatory Service Vehicles: Lavatory service vehicles empty and refill
lavatories onboard aircraft.
Waste is stored in tanks on the aircraft until these vehicles can empty
them and remove the waste.
After the tank is emptied, it is refilled with a mixture of water and a
disinfecting concentrate, commonly called 'blue juice'.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
12. Catering includes the unloading of unused food and drink from the
aircraft, and the loading of fresh food and drinks for passengers and
crew.
This is done with the help of the Catering vehicle. The meals are
typically delivered in standardized carts.
Meals are prepared mostly on the ground in order to minimize the
amount of preparation (apart from chilling or reheating) required in the
air.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
13. An air start unit is a vehicle with a built-in gas turbine
engine which gives the necessary quantity of high-
pressure air to start the engine.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
14. Belt loaders are vehicles with conveyor belts for unloading and loading
of baggage and cargo onto aircraft.
A belt loader is positioned at the door sill of an aircraft hold (baggage
compartment) during operation.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
15. De/Anti-icing Vehicles: The procedure of de/anti-icing, protection from
fluids freezing up on aircraft, is done from special vehicles.
A hose sprays a special mixture that melts current ice on the aircraft
and also prevents some ice from building up while waiting on the
ground.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
16. Passenger boarding stairs provide a mobile means to traverse between
the aircraft doors and the ground.
Because larger aircraft have door sills 5 to 20 feet high, stairs facilitate
safe boarding and deplaning.
Most models have adjustable height to accommodate various aircraft.
Optional features may include canopies, heating, supplementary lighting,
and a red carpet for VIP passengers.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
17. Transporters are cargo platforms constructed so that, beside
loading and unloading containers, they can also transport the
cargo. These are used to carry ULD (Unit Load Devices),
pallets etc.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
18. Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) is a special category of
firefighting that involves the response, hazard mitigation,
evacuation and possible rescue of passengers and crew of an
aircraft involved in (typically) an airport ground emergency.
POWERED
EQUIPMENT
19. Dollies are used for the transportation of loose baggage(s),
over-sized baggage(s), mail bags, loose cargo carton boxes,
etc. between the aircraft and the terminal or sorting facility.
NON-POWERED
EQUIPMENT
20. Belts are used mostly to carrying smaller loads and
baggage when they are not packed in containers.
NON-POWERED
EQUIPMENT
21. Chocks are used to prevent an aircraft from moving while
parked at the gate or in a hangar.
Chocks are placed in the front and back of the wheels of
landing gear. They are made out of hard wood or hard rubber.
NON-POWERED
EQUIPMENT
22. Airport Tripod Jacks are used to support a parked aircraft to prevent their
tail from drooping or even falling to the ground.
When the passengers in the front get off an aircraft, the aircraft becomes
tail heavy and the tail will droop.
Using the jack is optional and not every aircraft need it.
NON-POWERED
EQUIPMENT
23. Tow Bars make it possible to tow a given aircraft by a tractor
which is clipped to the bar.
The main advantage is that you need only one type of tractor to
tow all types of aircrafts.
The main disadvantage is the high number of staff required to
fix the bar to the aircraft.
NON-POWERED
EQUIPMENT