Auto Review The story of airport ground support vehicles

In this Auto Review publication we look at the story of ground support vehicles and equipment at airports, aerodromes, or wherever aircraft land and take off. 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, which is the amount of time an aircraft spends at the terminal gate. At a large airport 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 in this publication. Some vehicles may be owned by large airlines, but often the work is carried out under contract by specialist firms, including fuel companies, catering firms and servicing outfits. We also look at some of the different vehicles operated by air forces and at smaller airports and airfields. Much of our coverage relates to British and US vehicles and equipment, but apparatus from other countries is also included