Aircraft ground damage totals almost $5 billion a year and, without preventive action, could double to nearly $10 billion by 2035, according to a new study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
A report on the study, released in early December, concluded that a transition to enhanced ground support equipment (GSE) — which, among other things, uses anti-collision technology, improves vehicle control and increases docking accuracy — could limit ground damage and improve safety.
“For decades, the aviation industry has tolerated a certain degree of minor dents and scrapes in its traditional metal-skinned aircraft fleet as a part of the business of operating aircraft,” said IATA’s Ground Damage Report: The Case for Enhanced Ground Support Equipment. “This type of damage is typically visible, and repairs tend to be relatively easy. The situation has changed with the introd…
