AES and Red Handling, the handling entity of Norwegian, this week signed a 4-year contract with XOPS for its GSE tracking and fleet management system in Spain.
XOPS provides airport asset management solutions, which includes fleet management, operations management, data management and other services.
Airside spoke with Jean-Francois Bouilhaguet, CEO of XOPS, to find out more about how his ‘GSE pooling’ solution can optimise fleet management.
What is your strategy to develop the XOPS solution within the airport industry, and especially in Spain, following your agreement with Red Handling?
In Spain, AENA imposed telemetry to track GSE at all Spanish airports. AENA also pushes operators to share their equipment. I insist on the word ‘sharing’ and not ‘pooling’.
All airport operators increasingly mention telematics, automation, pooling in their various conferences and interviews but today only XOPS operates on a large and industrial scale a pooling solution at Hong Kong International Airport.
More than 700 GSE [products] are currently assigned automatically at the airport between 4 large ground operators.
It is difficult to understand how to operate a ‘pooling or sharing’ solution. Should we say ‘pooling’ or ‘sharing’? Tell us more.
GSE sharing is only when multiple operators agree to use a common GSE when they need it. This is mainly a group of GSE added to the fleets belonging to the different managers.
There are no rules or limited rules about who and when the GSE is booked. This is a first step to reduce the airside GSE fleet by preventing all operators from buying multiple, rarely-used equipment.
You can compare it with car sharing – you rent and use a car according to the availability and your need. All members of the car sharing platform can access the ‘shared car’ to decide to use a car.
Airport GSE pooling is a global mode of operation at the airport level. All GSE is covered by the solution and automatically sent to the various ground operators in real time.
The handlers only provide qualified personnel at the aircraft’s parking stand according to the airport’s flight information system. This operational model enables optimisation and ensures the required size of the GSE fleet required to operate on time.
The XOPS pooling platform tracks, allocates GSE, monitors energy levels and provides multiple communication channels to the operators, the airport and the maintenance company.
The airport becomes the backbone of the GSE usage to secure punctuality and energy levels. XOPS pooling is the orchestra conductor and sets the pace for the use of the equipment.
Sharing is a first step to reduce the acquisition of GSE when we have a small usage. Airport pooling is a complete new handling operational mode optimised and operated 24/7 with a specialised IT solution.
Are all Spanish operators to adopt this new operational mode?
Today, it is not mandatory but at some airports, AENA imposes [upon] the handlers at least to share some common equipment. It is a first step to reduce the number of GSE and increase the GSE fleet utilisation rate.
Why are all airports not adopting this ‘pooling model’ if it is so efficient, both financially and operationally?
We see more and more projects worldwide. It requires a deep involvement to engage all the operators in this model and today it is still the airlines to pay for GSE and operation inefficiency.
Image credit: Alexander Semenov/Adobe Stock
