Airport Ground Support Vehicles

This publication looks at the story of airport ground support vehicles. At an airport, most of this attention takes place on the apron, near to the terminal buildings. Speed, efficiency, and careful co-ordination are necessary to minimise turnaround time at the terminal gate. As many as 75 vehicles may be needed to service one large jet airliner. Roles include aircraft handling, servicing and refuelling, passenger handling, baggage and cargo handling, airport maintenance, and emergency services. The evolution of the many and varied roles of ground support vehicles are touched on here. Some vehicles may be owned by large airlines, but often the work is carried out under contract by specialists, including fuel companies, catering firms and servicing outfits. Some of the different vehicles operated by air forces and at smaller airports and airfields are also included. Whilst most coverage relates to British and US vehicles and equipment, kit from some other countries is also included.