SAHCO acquires new ground handling equipment to boost operation

Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc has expanded its fleet of Ground Support Equipment (GSE) with more ultra-modern equipment, to support airlines in better service delivery to customers.

The new fleet of equipment acquired includes ten Passenger Step Units that were manufactured by Mallaghan which is a renowned aviation industry manufacturer and supplier of highly acclaimed Ground Support Equipment.

The Passenger Step Units have the capacity to provide passenger access to a wide range of aircrafts which includes B747, B777, B767, A340, A380, A320 etc.

Also, the equipment is fitted with proximity sensors which are devices that shut down the equipment engines when they are positioned too close to the aircraft to prevent aircraft damage.

Another acquired equipment in the new fleet is an Air Starter Unit (ASU) which is used to supply necessary quantities of air at a specified pressure to aircrafts while it is parked. The ASU was acquired from Guinault in France and has an eco-friendly engine while the chassis is made from steel to reduce the rate of corrosion or wear, also it has a safety device attached to the fuel gauge to enable it shut down when the fuel is less than 30 litres to prevent engine damage due to fuel shortage.

Furthermore, two units of Airmarrel High Loader LAM 7000 were also part of the latest acquired fleet of GSE. The LAM 7000 has the capacity of loading about 7,000kg of pallets or containers at a time. This equipment is also furnished with proximity sensors and was procured from Airmarrel, a G.S.E producing giant from France. It is also furnished with electrical and hand emergency pumps which can be used during emergency procedures.

Read also: Arik Air introduces buy Miles & Fly promotion

In a related development, SAHCO Engineering team has produced 20 baggage carts from locally sourced materials. These equipment that has been dispatched to SAHCO’s Abuja station were produced according to European standards with huge improvements on their European counterparts.

The carts were produced to be able to carry more baggage, rugged side guides with heavy duty hinges to customize their functionality to suit Nigerian baggage peculiarities. Also, they can maneuver at 90 degrees unlike their European counterparts. These carts were produced thereby saving SAHCO a lot of foreign exchange.

Speaking about the equipment, Basil Agboarumi, the managing director/CEO of SAHCO said the company’s Management decision to constantly invest in modern Ground Handling Equipment is due to the fact that SAHCO is always pursuing excellent services to clients.

“As always, we are an aviation Ground Handling provider and what we stand for and want to be known for is not just to provide services but to provide excellent Ground Handling Services and we have an understanding as an organization that for us to be able to provide that kind of services, we must have staff that are well trained in what they do and have the right equipment to work with.”