As operators prioritise safety, sustainability and efficiency on the ramp, GSE manufacturers are innovating passenger boarding equipment, writes William Hallowell
TIPS GSE offers a wide portfolio of passenger boarding equipment including towable and self-propelled units in either diesel or electric versions, depending on operators’ needs. The Slovenian company’s Runway, Freeway and Walkway series of boarding steps are designed to serve a wide range of aircraft including both narrowbody and widebody jets, according to head of sales, Vesna Poznič.
Advising Airside on the manufacturer’s most popular unit today, Poznič explains that TIPS GSE’s self-propelled Advanced RUNWAY2236Pe stairs, a “highly adaptive model designed for unmatched efficiency and precision”, is a customer favourite. At a glance, its key features include dynamic performance with an electric drive capable of up to 15kmh and “excellent manoeuvrability in tight spaces”, she says.
The Advanced RUNWAY2236Pe also comes equipped with “versatile adjustability” with a height range of 2.2m to 3.6m. It can serve aircraft from the size of an Embraer E170 up to an Airbus A321.
Poznič claims the unit is reliable, flexible and easy to deploy airside due to enhanced stability and safety with its electro-operated stabilisers and protective barriers, and an operator-focused design equipped with ergonomic controls. It has a strong steel frame and is slip-resistant, which she says ensures longevity. Demand is strong for the Advanced RUNWAY2236Pe today.
Evolving with new technologies
According to Poznič, TIPS GSE’s passenger boarding solutions offer operators greater autonomy, manoeuvrability and “advanced features”, making its equipment – in particular, self-propelled units – ideal for handlers stationed at airports with high traffic and diverse aircraft types.
Poznič boasts that TIPS GSE’s range of electric passenger stairs, which includes both battery and solar-powered options, will significantly reduce operators’ fuel costs by eliminating the need for diesel. “Studies have shown that electric GSE can lower energy costs by up to 70% compared to diesel-powered alternatives,” she says.
Vesna Poznič, TIPS GSE
Additionally, TIPS GSE’s passenger boarding units are 98% self-sufficient, which will result in “considerable maintenance savings” for users, Poznič claims. According to IATA, she says, maintenance costs can be reduced by 50% when using electric equipment compared to diesel due to fewer moving parts, which ultimately means less wear and tear.
“At TIPS, we integrate key industry trends like sustainability and the increasing use of advanced technologies into the design of our products, including passenger stairs,” says Poznič. “Our focus on research and development drives us to explore how different technologies can improve operational efficiency and reduce the need for manual labour.”
How, then, do new, smart technologies play a part in the company’s product development?
The head of sales explains: “Automation and anti-collision tools enhance the safety and precision of our products, while the use of electric power reduces the environmental impact of ground handling operations, supporting the industry’s transition to net zero emissions.
“Additionally, AI and real-time data processing tools allow us to optimise the performance and reliability of our equipment. These innovations are central to ensuring that our products meet the modern demands of airports, offering both increased efficiency and a lower carbon footprint.”
With ground handlers hyper-focused on delivering safe, sustainable and efficient solutions for their airline customers today, TIPS GSE is gearing up to meet future needs – which includes evolving with key new market developments such as autonomous technology (covered from page 6 of this issue). The Slovenian manufacturer is “well positioned to respond to these needs by continuing to invest in cutting-edge R&D,” Poznič emphasises.
“TIPS GSE is committed to pioneering innovations that not only meet the operational needs of modern airports but also contribute to reducing their carbon footprints and enhancing safety and precision in airport environments,” she adds. “Our strategy is to set new benchmarks in the market through the development of sustainable, fully automated passenger stairs that cater to the evolving demands of the aviation industry.”
‘Trailblazing’ passenger boarding solutions
The Northern Irish GSE manufacturer Mallaghan is a well-established market player today. Indeed, the company boldly assumes itself an industry “trailblazer” providing solutions ahead of the curve – and passenger boarding is one such area in which it claims to excel.
According to product manager Damian Keenan: “Like all industries faced with change there are those who blaze the trail, those who follow suit and those who fall behind. Mallaghan would like to think we are part of the trailblazing set.
dnata operates Mallaghan passenger stairs
“To back that up with evidence, we sold our first electric passenger stairs in 2010 and have sold many in the interim period before sustainability became a key driver in the ground handling industry.”
Indeed, the electrification trend gathered significant momentum in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and has continued to skyrocket since. As a number of players have told Airside, demand has never been higher for electric GSE – and is only increasing.
Today, Mallaghan provides towable and self-propelled passenger boarding solutions in diesel and electric options. Its portfolio of towable units comprises the Tristair LR (low range), MR (mid range) and HR (high range). Operators have the choice of diesel or electric powertrains for all these models, with the LR and MR also available in fully enclosed versions.
Meanwhile, for operators requiring self-propelled passenger steps, the manufacturer offers the Continental HR – a unit that provides a service range of 2.2m to 5.8m. The Continental HR is also available in diesel and electric with the option of being fully enclosed and can be mounted onto the back of a commercial truck, including a MAN, Volvo, Ford and others.
Today, the manufacturer is focused on providing sustainable solutions that offer users the latest technology to enhance their operations. Keenan tells Airside: “A large proportion of our product development, and almost all of it in recent times, has been concentrated on sustainability and technological advancements.
“Our full range of stairs are available in electric variants and, indeed, since last year the majority of the stairs we have sold have been electric-powered. Likewise, our AHM 913 Controlled Approach System (CAS) is fitted to the majority of stairs we are selling.”
He adds: “Safety is of prime importance obviously, as is sustainability. With our CAS, EN safety gates and electrified equipment we have all these bases covered.”
Damian Keenan, Mallaghan
How is Mallaghan reacting to the evolving airside environment, then? Keenan asserts that “autonomy is definitely a hot topic in the market right now and is something we worked on in the past before the pandemic put an abrupt end to it, like many things”. However: “This is something we are re-engaging with soon and we hope to have solutions available in the next two years.”
Although the manufacturer has no immediate plans to release new passenger boarding solutions, as “we already have the vast majority of needs covered”, Keenan assures that Mallaghan will “continue to improve and innovate”.
Safety and simplicity through standardised equipment
Wisconsin-based Wollard International offers “proven and trusted” passenger stairs vehicles for both narrowbody and widebody aircraft. Its CMPS-170 is a chassis-mounted unit with height capabilities of 1.97m up to 4.3m, allowing for reduced turnaround times and high manoeuvrability for serving narrowbodies.
Meanwhile, the CMPS-228, for widebody service, can reach heights of 2.24m and 5.8m and users have the option of a glass roof cab for extended visibility. Both models are built with a tubular wrap-around steel frame, ensuring lightweight, fuel efficient and agile operations, the company says, and are available in diesel, gasoline, electric or LP (liquefied petroleum).
“Wollard International’s stairs are built with a custom tubular chassis that, unlike an on-road chassis, holds up to the rigours of the ramp,” says a spokesperson for the company. “This allows our units to have a higher uptime and better appearance for the travelling customer.
“These little things can take a unit out of commission for weeks while you’re waiting for parts. You don’t have these problems when, like us, you’re building equipment with plate steel and tubular frames – simply building a robust machine compared to something that is commercialised.”
The USPs of Wollard International’s passenger boarding solutions are safety and simplicity, according to the company’s spokesperson. They tell Airside: “Our passenger stairs are very dent resistant due to the tubular chassis we use.
“In addition, our equipment is standardised. This means that if a ramp agent operates both a Wollard-manufactured passenger boarding vehicle and belt loader, they can go from one machine to the other with ease because all our products operate the same way, whether serving a narrowbody or widebody aircraft.”
Wollard International’s CMPS-228
They add: “Because our solutions are standardised, once a ramp agent is trained on one of our vehicles, they’re basically trained on all of them. This is one of the major advantages of our product portfolio.”
Simplicity of maintenance is also a crucial factor. Wollard’s spokesperson emphasises that customers praise the ease with which the company’s passenger stairs can be maintained, because the engineering of its vehicles is standardised too.
So, not only are the manufacturer’s passenger stairs simple to operate, they are also simple to maintain. For that reason, its customers “stick with us”, they boast. And this is important for Wollard International, a company that takes the customer-centric approach.
“We react to what customers are looking for,” they assert. “We have a collision avoidance system today and we’re working on refining a new system that is going to be more reliable and more robust.”
Indeed, anti-collision technologies are increasingly important to operators for both safety and compliance reasons. In May, IATA launched the Enhanced GSE Recognition Program which aims to encourage ground handlers to increase the uptake of vehicles equipped with anti-collision and inching technologies.
On ground handlers’ shifting requirements from OEMs, they continue: “GSE operators are also increasingly looking to capture and analyse data to improve their operations for a number of purposes, including fleet planning, improving operational efficiency, maintenance, things like that. Whereas, in the past it was the case that ground handlers would take a snapshot of their operations and wouldn’t do it again for maybe five or 10 years.
“Today, handlers want to know what is going on in their operations down to the minute, which is a significant shift in GSE operators’ needs. We’re evolving with them.”
The spokesperson says Wollard International is today testing telematics systems for its products, including passenger stairs, and that the company is looking to customers to understand what their evolving needs are. “We have the knowledge and ability to install these systems for our customers,” they assert.
Timsan’s towable solutions
Turkish manufacturer Timsan produces five types of passenger stairs including towable, self-propelled, electric, solar-powered and truck-mounted units. Its portfolio of boarding equipment spans heights of 1.7m for smaller aircraft up to 8.4m for the largest planes.
According to Haldun Aksoy, chairman of the board at Timsan, the company’s most popular units today are its towable options which, he claims, are the “optimum solution for our customers at small airports”. Today, towable steps account for 70% of passenger boarding equipment sales, while self-propelled and truck-mounted solutions make up the rest of the orderbook at 20% and 10%, respectively.
Timsan passenger steps in operation in Vietnam
And, despite the growing electrification trend, diesel units remain first choice for Timsan customers. Aksoy tells Airside that “diesel is still the most popular” option for passenger boarding equipment.
Nevertheless, at sunnier stations, Timsan’s solar-powered solutions are “very popular” owing to their “cost effectiveness”. But how is the company adapting to the shifting needs of operators, when considering industry trends like sustainability or the demand for on-board smart technologies?
According to Aksoy: “Our 42 years of expertise in GSE production is always evolving according to the needs of our customers. Of course, the ultimate goal is to fully satisfy all requirements by complying with the parameters of cost effectiveness, environment and sustainability.
“In this way, while designing our products, we follow both the developments in airport standards and use the latest technology. All our equipment is fitted with two systems: the first is conventional and the second is a CAN bus system which we introduced back in 2020.
“Timsan has also applied aircraft safe approaching systems [ASAS] to all our mobile stairs since 2014. We consider all precautions in approaching the aircraft for our passenger boarding solutions.
“Additionally, we use a special approach system, together with the hydraulic drive system, which we developed in order to provide the safest service for our towable passenger stairs.”
The quality of the company’s solutions lies in the damage prevention and longevity measures Timsan takes during production, Aksoy claims. This includes sand blasting and oven painting which are applied as standard for all painted stairs, while hot dip galvanising is carried out as standard for all non-painted towable chassis, ensuring damage to the metal is “completely prevented”.
Further, Aksoy explains: “We have just started to apply a cataphoresis coating process on our driver cabins to prolong equipment lifespan and improve quality.”
In response to operators’ shifting requirements, by combining smart technology, sustainability and an innovative approach to design, “we will not only improve operational aspects but also contribute to passenger satisfaction and environmental friendliness”, he says.
