Used GSE Market Shows Consistent Global Demand Across Sectors

The second-hand airport ground support equipment (GSE) market currently has stable demand, covering various needs such as leasing, short-term peak response, and the purchase of old equipment. Manufacturer Mulag stated that Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa have a higher interest in second-hand equipment, and the demand covers all categories including conveyor belts, pallet transporters and tractors. Adapt GSE pointed out that the demand is evenly distributed in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa, but the equipment needs to be matched according to the market's technical capabilities. Developing countries and small airports tend to prefer simple aircraft models that are easy to maintain.

Demand differences are related to the size of the airport: Large international airports are usually managed by ground Service providers (GHAs) and tend to purchase brand-new equipment; However, small regional airports, due to their lower traffic volume, are more receptive to the renovation of equipment. Harold Delloye, the sales director of TCR, mentioned that the supply chain problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have continuously affected the supply of OEM components, pushing up the backlog demand for high-quality second-hand Gses. Eamonn Maguire of Adapt GSE added that second-hand equipment can respond to demand quickly, while the delivery period of new equipment can be as long as several months or even a year, forcing some users to turn to the second-hand market.

Furthermore, some manufacturers give priority to producing new equipment, resulting in a tight supply of maintenance parts. TCR addresses challenges by leveraging its own parts inventory, recycling scrapped equipment parts for refurbishment, which not only enhances the recycling rate but also reduces the carbon footprint. A spokesperson for Mulag pointed out that the delivery time of second-hand equipment might be extended due to the procurement of key components, and fluctuations in the production capacity of new equipment would also affect the maintenance efficiency of old equipment.