GSE Downtime: Common Causes and How to Avoid Them
In the high-stakes realm of aviation, every second matters. Ground Support Equipment (GSE) keeps airport operations in order, whether boarding passengers, handling luggage, or servicing aircraft. But the failures of GSE confront you … now in delays, safety hazards, and financial losses. JETALL knows that keeping your GSE fleet up and running is extremely important to you.
In this post, we examine the most common causes of GSE downtime and how to avoid them through intelligent maintenance and the right type of support for the equipment.
Top Causes of GSE Downtime
Poor preventative maintenance: For many GSEs, neglecting preventive maintenance is the most common reason for downtime. Over time, things like hydraulic lines, brake systems, engines, etc., wear out and suddenly fail.
JETALL Tip: Perform routine maintenance checks and follow manufacturer standards for inspection. Preventative maintenance is always more economical than emergency repair.
Operator Error or Inexperienced: If an operator is not trained, they are likelier to abuse equipment, stress machinery, or disregard alerts. The consequence is preventable wear and tear and equipment downtime.
JETALL Tip: Invest in extensive operator training and frequent retraining. When correctly used, your GSE will last longer and require fewer unnecessary repairs.
Not Taking Care of the Small Business Issues Early on: A dribbling hydraulic hose or flashing warning light might not matter much—until it’s an all-out problem that keeps your equipment from operating.
JETALL Strategy: Create an environment that promotes immediate issue reporting. A barebones pre- and post-shift checklist can help catch problems before they become bigger.
Lack of Spare Parts Inventory: Downtime tends to be prolonged not so much by the malfunction as by the inevitable lack of critical replacement parts.
JETALL Pro Tip: Store an inventory of high-turn components or work with a trusted GSE supplier, JETALL, who can ship parts on short notice.
Battery and Charging Problems: As aviation is moving in the direction of electric GSE, as it is friendlier to the environment, failures of the batteries are becoming a bigger challenge. Neglecting to charge things and aging batteries properly can hamstring equipment.
JETALL Suggestion: Charge with the intelligent device and check the battery capacity before use. You might also want to look for lithium-ion technology for better performance and longer battery life.
Harsh Environmental Exposure: GSE frequently works in harsh conditions, such as hot tarmacs, ice-covered runways, or humid regions. These conditions can cause rapid deterioration of equipment.
JETALL Recommendation: Cover equipment when not in use for all-weather lubricants and/or maintain it more frequently during extreme temperatures.
The Role JETALL Plays in Reducing Your GSE Downtime: From JETALL, we offer you more in GSE than just GSE. We work with airports, airlines, and their ground handlers to provide the following:
- Heavy-duty, high-performance GSE equipment
- Planned maintenance and service agreements
- Fast-response mend response
- Operator training and safety assistance
- An extensive stock of spare parts and accessories
We want to maximize the uptime and the efficiency of your ground operations.
Final Thoughts
The enemy of productivity is downtime. Your investment in GSE can be further protected with timely maintenance and training, intervention to solve problems at the source, and long-lasting solutions to everyday operational issues. When you work with JETALL, you have a partner you can count on for more than just equipment–they offer knowledge, security, and confidence.
