Everything Old is Not New Again — at Least When it Comes to GSE

Back when I was running my own FBO, replacing worn out or obsolete GSE meant comparing new to used or refurbished equipment. Original equipment owners — the airlines in those days — were much more likely to replace or upgrade their equipment once it was depreciated. Good quality, used or refurbished GSE was plentiful, although finding it involved old-fashioned phone and leg work. In the days before online search engines made shopping for used equipment a fingertip away, finding primo equipment meant calling or visiting your contacts at different airports and airlines, finding out who was getting rid of what and who had a good reputation for well-maintained equipment. A well-placed contact could be an excellent source for good equipment at reasonable prices. Today, searching the Internet has never been easier. But finding good, used GSE is as time-consuming as ever, maybe more so. Airlines have contracted out much of the ground handling and FBOs and other ground handling companies are much more likely to hang onto their equipment. And of course, as the recession has hit aviation harder than many industries, operators of ground support equipment are keeping their equipment in service longer than ever. As I visit GSE operators around the country, I’m hearing more and more that the bargains of old are harder and harder to come by. This could be good news for original equipment manufacturers that have experienced substantial drops in sales of new equipment. But it’s not great news for the FBOs and other ground handlers trying to make it through some really tough times.