ground handling equipment: essential tools for cargo operations

Ground handling is a broad term for a wide set of activities that can be performed in corporate, regional, short-haul operations or long-haul ones. These can be for passenger or cargo flights, and contractors or in-house teams can execute them. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the following activities comprise ground handling:

• ground administration and supervision
• passenger handling
• baggage handling
• freight and mail handling
• ramp handling
• fuel and oil handling
• aircraft services and maintenance
• flight operations and crew administration
• surface transport
• catering

GSE equipment plays a critical role in helping airport ground operations run safely and efficiently. Design and functionality make a massive contribution to GSE’s impact on the safety and efficiency of ground handling operations.

GSE plays a huge role in supporting airports and aircraft. Basically, it’s there to support the aircraft in achieving its purpose and mission, and keep operations flowing smoothly and on time. GSE’s other vital purpose is to allow air cargo operations and ground handling teams to operate safely when working with air cargo.

Aircraft handling and movement

This is one of GSE’s primary functions. Airports cover acres and acres of space. When an aeroplane is down, the taxis’ job is to move the aircraft using an aircraft tow tractor.

Commercial airports today rely on aircraft tow tractors for every single flight. The aircraft tow tractors must push the aircraft from the jetway back to the taxiway for the rest of the pre-flight sequence. A lot of airports are designed this way to optimise space and efficiency.

Without aircraft ground support equipment, the aviation industry wouldn’t function as smoothly as it does. Ground support equipment keeps things moving. Here’s how GSE improves ground handling efficiency:

Faster aircraft turnaround

GSE allows teams to prepare aircraft more quickly for the next journey, whether that’s loading the aircraft with cargo, performing maintenance, conducting checks or other operations. The equipment reduces downtimes, which is crucial in the logistics world, where businesses are anxious to get products out to their customers as soon as possible.

Health and safety is the number one priority when it comes to cargo handling, and stakeholders must follow a variety of safety and security rules regulations, and implement lots of different health and safety practices to ensure safe handling and transportation. Failure to do so can create all manner of problems, from accidents, injuries and even fatalities, to shipment delays, cancellations and customer dissatisfaction.

Key regulations governing safety and security

To ensure air cargo is handled and shipped safely and securely, air cargo operations must comply with a wide range of regulations. Here are some of the main ones:

EU regulations

The European Union (EU) has created regulations that mandate security measures for air cargo. The regulations create a framework for making sure air cargo operations in the EU are secure. Cargo must be screened or come from known consignors who have received security vetting.

Our air cargo ground handling systems allow you to perform cargo handling tasks with the utmost safety. The systems take care of the heavy lifting loading and unloading involves, and minimise the use of forklift trucks in loading and unloading processes. Rather than entering truck trailers or the aircraft cargo compartment, forklifts merely place the goods on the system, which then transfers the cargo to or from the aircraft or trailer.

The automated nature of several of our systems also preserves the safety of the logistics team. Often, only one person is necessary to operate the system, and they can control loading or unloading from a distance. This removes them and other logistics team members from many potential loading and unloading hazards.

Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for workplace safety. Due to the nature of logistics work, which can require handling dangerous equipment and toxic substances, not a penny is wasted when it comes to spending on PPE. The higher the PPE’s quality, the better.

Review safety policies regularly and update them

Health and safety policies should be reviewed regularly so that they’re up to date and cover all aspects of health and safety. Companies must make sure their policies respond to health and safety risks, which change often. They should review their policies whenever:

• major changes have occurred within the organisation;
• key changes in personnel take place;
• there are changes in guidance;
• if health and safety risk monitoring suggests health and safety
• regulations are ineffective.

We help businesses lighten loads and are highly regarded as the world's leading loading and unloading solutions provider in the logistics industry. Over the last 60 years, we've helped thousands of businesses streamline their logistics operations to be more cost-efficient, more sustainable, and more health and safety-conscious. Learn more About Us, here.

We’re experts in supporting air cargo logistics teams and offer a variety of loading equipment to lighten the load on ground handling and air cargo operations teams. You may have even caught us at Air Cargo Europe 2025.

Get in touch with our experts today to learn how we can provide a safe working environment, call our friendly team on +44 (0) 151 427 8954, on our Let's Chat page, via email on sales@joloda.com or on LinkedIn...

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Around the world, we’re known as the number one; the global leader in loading and unloading solutions. This is not only because we are the largest but also the first too; we've been pioneering loading solutions since 1962.

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