How Ground Handlers are Embracing Green Operations

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Sustainability is a strongly felt topic in the aircraft ground handling industry throughout Central and South America, and sensitivity towards sustainability has developed significantly in recent times, with multiple best practices and initiatives implemented across the region.

Ground handling practices in Central and South America have become increasingly more sustainable and sustainability-minded in recent times as the global aviation community strives to meet its net zero emissions goals, according to officials with the UAS International Trip Support Americas team.

“We are seeing a growing interest in the adoption of electric ground support equipment (GSE) and other green technologies to reduce emissions and energy consumption. Major airports in cities like São Paulo, Bogotá and Buenos Aires are already implementing these technologies,” the team says. “An increasing number of ground handling companies are developing and implementing environmental management systems in a bid to reduce their ecological footprint. This includes optimizing fuel usage, reducing waste and improving recycling practices.”

As is the case across the world, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important issue for the aviation services industry in Central and South America, affirms Tomeu Mas, senior vice president for Central and South America at Menzies Aviation.

“This is driven by several factors including the increasing consumer awareness, regional regulations and global aviation standards,” he says. “However, the degree to which sustainability is prioritized across Central and South America varies by country, region and organization.”

David Fernandez, head of fleet at Swissport International, believes that sustainability is gaining importance in the airport ground handling industry across Central and South America, but the region faces challenges, particularly with infrastructure.

“There has been a noticeable shift towards sustainable practices driven by regulatory pressures, corporate responsibility initiatives and rising environmental awareness among consumers,” he says. “While our overall fleet electrification is still in its early stages in LATAM, there has been significant progress in certain countries. In recent years, nations like Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Costa Rica and Chile have made considerable efforts to introduce electric GSE, such as new electric baggage tow units (BTU), cargo belt loaders (CBL) and passenger boarding stairs (PBS). These efforts mark important steps towards more sustainable operations, reflecting a growing sensitivity and commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of the aviation industry in these regions.”

Electric GSE Gabriel Serrano, chief executive officer of Aeroservicios USA, observes that in general airports require service providers to use more electric equipment, yet they may not facilitate the energy supply needed to connect the chargers.

“Airports require emission reduction programs but they may also prevent the use of lower-emission fuels like propane gas. Very few countries in the region have ultra-low sulphur diesel available, which would allow the use of lower-emission engines,” he says. “Airports need to invest in infrastructure to provide the required electric charging capacity, and equipment operators need to invest more in electric equipment and chargers.”

According to Mas, there is a clear divide between larger hubs in more developed countries, which tend to place significant importance on sustainability, and the less affluent countries and regional airports, which often lack the means to embrace sustainable practices.

“As a result, many airports in the region simply lack the infrastructure needed to support the rollout of electric GSE, for example. As an aviation services operator, we would welcome the ability to implement more electric GSE across the region,” he says. “Recycling and waste management processes, however, are now far more sustainable than they were just a few years ago. Certain airports have even introduced recognition programs, rewarding ground handling companies which embrace sustainable operations.”

UAS is seeing private flights using electric cars for passenger and crew transportation during ground operations in LATAM to reduce emissions and noise pollution.

“For instance, airports like São Paulo’s Guarulhos International and Bogotá’s El Dorado International have explored or implemented electric tow tractors and other equipment,” the UAS Americas team says. “Some airports and suppliers are enhancing their waste management practices, focusing on recycling and reducing waste, such as separating and properly disposing of waste generated during ground operations.”

Transitioning to electric GSE is indeed a pillar of sustainability in Central and South America, and, despite infrastructure challenges, recent developments show that several countries are making strides, affirms Fernandez.

“All BTUs and CBLs ordered by Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba and Costa Rica in 2024 are electric, demonstrating a commitment to meeting Swissport’s Global GSE electrification policy, which mandates that from Jan. 1, 2025, all BTUs, CBLs, PBSs, fork lift units (FLU), lavatory service units (LSU) and water service units (WSU) can only be ordered in electric versions,” he says.

Pillars of Sustainability Efforts to improve energy efficiency in airport operations are also commonplace, and this includes initiatives to reduce energy consumption in ground operations through improved management practices and more energy-efficient lighting and facilities, the UAS Americas team highlights.

“More ground handling companies and airports are pursuing certifications like ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems),” the team says. “There are also increasing efforts to train staff and raise awareness about sustainable practices. Some governments and industry bodies are also beginning to support sustainability initiatives through incentives, grants or policy frameworks that encourage greener practices.”

Another key point is the infrastructure development and collaboration, highlights Fernandez.

“There is ongoing collaboration with airport authorities to develop the necessary infrastructure to support electrification,” he says. “Regular conversations are held to demonstrate that what might seem like a far-off future for electric GSE is already a reality in many other stations within our network. These discussions are crucial for aligning regional airports with global sustainability standards and overcoming existing infrastructural limitations.”

Aircraft ground handling sustainability in the region relies on the commitment of each link in the chain, according to Serrano.

“Few governments have incentive programs for transitioning to clean energy. Airport authorities would need to invest in facilitating energy supply, airlines would need to understand that this leads to higher operational costs, and therefore they would have to accept small cost increases from their suppliers,” he says. “Also, the suppliers would need to accept that only by investing in electric equipment will they be able to close the loop and achieve sustainability.”

In addition to energy efficiency, resource management and waste reduction, renewable energy integration, environmental compliance and certification and social responsibility and workforce development are other foundations of sustainability in Central and South America, according to Mas. “For what concerns energy efficiency and emissions reduction, our focus is on lowering the carbon footprint of our ground handling operations by adopting more energy-efficient practices and technologies,” he says. “This includes transitioning from fossil fuel-powered GSE to electric or hybrid alternatives and embracing technology such automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to minimize energy usage.”

Resource management and waste reduction prioritizes recycling and the circular economy, establishing robust processes for recycling aircraft waste and reusing materials within ground handling processes, explains Mas.

“Using sustainable materials and packaging is also important. In 2023 we announced a partnership with BioNatur Plastics, and we are in the process of transitioning to its biodegradable plastic wrap in our cargo operations,” he says. “It is also important to talk about energy integration and environmental compliance and certification. With energy infrastructure limited at many airports across the region, we are exploring the possibility of leveraging our own energy sources, in particular, we have plans to install solar panels on the roof of our cargo warehouses at airports in Columbia, enabling us to install solar-powered GSE charging infrastructure. Secondly, we have a focus on securing and implementing certifications such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA).”

Promoting social sustainability through fair labor practices, workforce training and community engagement is a very important pillar, affirms Mas.

“Key to this is upholding the highest standards and protections in relation to labor and human rights That is why we are running initiatives such as ‘A Home Away from Home’ in Cancún, which offers employees from poorer areas access to good quality accommodation. We are also committed to reducing emissions and increasing biodiversity by funding the planting of 70,000 mangroves as part of the ‘Million Mangroves’ project,” he concludes.

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