Orlando, FL — Representatives from global passenger air carriers, air freight carriers and ground handling companies recently attended a “green“ ground support equipment (GSE) open house hosted by JBT AeroTech in Orlando, Florida.
The open house featured presentations of JBT AeroTech’s environmentally friendly electric product line, updates from battery manufacturers and workshops on worldwide green initiatives. Live demonstrations were also conducted for the new Commander 15i electric 7-ton cargo loader and a diesel to electric conversion kit that enables earlier model Commander 15 loaders to meet new environmental requirements. JBT AeroTech has offered alternative fuel equipment for 27 years.
According to Chuck Durst, general manager, JBT AeroTech, Ground Support Equipment, “The open house allowed us to learn from the customer’s firsthand what challenges they are facing in complying with new environmental requirements. This helps us to better understand our customer’s requirements so that we can continue to effectively design environmentally viable products that meet their needs.”
Airport equipment operators are facing impending deadlines to comply with new emission reduction regulations. The consensus of attendees was that unlike past years when demand for electric GSE was driven by high fuel prices, the current worldwide airport related environmental initiatives are here to stay and compliance is mandatory. In some locations a compliance time table is already underway.
