easyJet revamps handling at Gatwick

The deal was believed to be the largest order for airport ground support equipment in recent history.

Included in the five-year lease and maintenance agreement was a fleet of 30 electric powered push back tugs the TLD TPX100E – the first fleet of its kind in the UK – some 65 electric baggage tugs, 180 baggage carts, 65 steps, 30 belt loaders, 20 Fiat Panda cars, four Ford minibuses, along with tow-bars, low loaders, ground power units, TBL tractors and air start units.

However, in addition to the sheer scale of the contract and number of orders placed on the equipment manufacturers, TLD and Mallaghan, there was a further huge challenge. The fleet of all-new airside equipment had to be delivered before the 1^st November 2017 – the go-live date for the new ground staff contract with DHL. What’s more, some of the equipment was required well in advance of go-live for an intensive ground staff training programme.

“This was a huge project,” says Tim Willett, operations director GSE for Rushlift. “We had a very short window in which to supply the 449 pieces of ground support equipment to easyJet. Most of the equipment we supply has a four month lead-time, but easyJet wanted to go-live on 1^st November which was just four months away. It was really pushing us to the limit.”

Rushlift pulled out all the stops to get the equipment airside and through security before the deadline, but the size of the orders placed on the manufacturers caused production issues, resulting in a shortfall in some areas. “Rushlift worked hard to overcome those issues by finding alternative solutions and they made sure we had the equipment we needed for our training programme, well in advance of the transition date,” says Graeme MacLeod, head of ground handling transformation at easyJet.

Offering comprehensive maintenance support for all the new equipment Rushlift has invested in a fully equipped on-site airside workshop in the North Terminal, a fleet of four Volkswagen Crafter mobile workshops and a ten person strong team of highly skilled maintenance engineers.

Graeme MacLeod concludes: “This was the biggest ground handling change that’s taken place anywhere in the sector for quite a long time – in one of the most complex airport operating environments – and no one outside of the local community here at Gatwick knew we had done that, which is testament to the work carried out by everyone to deliver a seamless transition.”