Ground support equipment supplier Rushlift is to lease 650 new vehicles to Menzies Aviation’s ground handling operations at London Heathrow and Gatwick airports for six years.
The multimillion-pound contract will provide a fleet of pushback tugs and Hi loaders from Trepel; and mobile conveyor belts and electric baggage and pushback tugs from TLD. The staged rollout, which is already underway, will continue to July 2022 and is timed to align with the expected resurgence in passenger air travel.
Tim Willett, operations director at Rushlift, said, “This contract further underscores Rushlift’s capability to support large corporations. In line with Menzies’ environmental objectives, we will be introducing a number of electric GSE vehicles over the six-year term of the contract. We are also exploring alternative fuel options, including biofuels and hydrogen. One of the huge advantages of being a subsidiary of Doosan – a global engineering enterprise – is that we have access to a world-leading team of specialists dedicated to researching sustainable, alternative fuels.”
Stephen Gallagher, senior vice president of equipment for Menzies Aviation, said, “The reliability and uptime of our ground handling equipment is absolutely imperative to the service we provide – our reputation depends upon it. We’re confident that Rushlift will provide the ground support equipment and support we’re looking for, both here in the UK and overseas.”
