AIRPORT SHOW: Amber light for green moves

David Feuga, Sales Director, Middle East & Africa, ITW-GSE, said: “We continue to promote our green technology; to push companies out of fossil burning equipment and replace it with sustainable battery powered alternatives.”

Feuga does recognise that the current situation has perhaps put sustainability on the back burner for many ground handlers in the GCC. He said: “We know that the industry welcomes the initiative, but the capital investment is tough at the moment.

“In Europe, the airport operators were given incentives by the governments to become more green. Here, companies recognise the problem and they are open to our solutions, but the balance between long-term expenditure and capital holdings is more difficult. Before COVID there was a positive push towards greener equipment, but with ground handling income dropping and the oil price much lower here than in Europe, that has slowed. The Middle East region is not driven by its domestic market. It relies on the international market, so flight bans and quarantine have a major impact on performance.”

Although things have slowed at the moment, Feuga believes that it is only temporary. “The change is inevitable. There is a both the desire and awareness, and the technology is there. Some manufacturers are showing strong leadership in development, and in calling for a halt to the use of fossil burning equipment, which is welcomed by the main players here. It is the future.”

David Feuga, ITW-GSE’s sales director, Middle East & Africa. Image: Jill Stockbridge