SynX Blog

In times like these, when we are approaching a future with less resources but increasing demands, sustainability has become of paramount importance. Airports are no exception and sustainable actions aimed at reducing environmental impacts, maintaining economic growth and helping local communities are now on the to-do list of every airport organisation.

An interesting and extremely innovative measure has been recently announced by Calgary International Airport, the implementation of a new high-tech, low-carbon concrete de-icing pad installation, the East Deicing Apron.

The facility was built during the months of August and September of year 2019 and the local aircraft has now started to use it. The apron was build with a special concrete with reduced carbon. The manufacturer, CarbonCure, has adopted a special process which injects waste carbon dioxide (CO₂) captured by industrial gas suppliers into concrete during mixing, enabling the production of stronger, more sustainable concrete. 

Around 25,000m³ of reduced-carbon concrete have been used for the construction of the East Deicing Apron at Calgary Airport, representing 160 tonnes of reduced carbon emissions, equalling 209 acres of forest absorbing CO₂ over the course of a year.

The parents of a man killed in August at Charlotte International Airport in a luggage cart accident has initiated a lawsuit against American Airlines.


The death of Kendrick Hudson dates back to August 2nd, 2019, when the ground worker swerved to avoid a piece of luggage which was on the tarmac and his vehicle rolled over it. The lawsuit was filed recently, after the subsidiary of American Airlines responsible for the ground worker, Piedmont Airlines, was in January 2020 found guilty of different violations by an inspection conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States.

During the inspection, the OSHA cited the following infringements:

An autonomous electric bus testing started on January 22nd at Haneda International Airport, in Japan, as the result of a joint project carried out by All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, SoftBank Corp., Advanced Smart Mobility and BYD. 

The test of the vehicle, which can host 57 passengers, has the aim of starting a trial later in the year. ANA selected a specific course for the trial, with the bus set to travel the same 1.9km (1.18 miles) segment of restricted area in Haneda Airport multiple times throughout the testing period. During the test, the bus will be evaluated based on its ability to perform the conditional automation with little human oversight.

The development of this autonomous electric bus is an example of how ANA is studying the latest technology to improve passenger convenience and comfort, especially when considering the approaching of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Once implemented, the autonomous electric bus will facililate a more convenient transit experience for passengers of Haneda airport and improve ground services efficiencies.

Promoting technological innovations such as electric-powered autonomous transportation and creating the intelligent airport is an urgent task for the aviation industry, which is facing pressure to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Munich Airport has been awarded the Leadership Level together with an A rating in the "Climate Change" category of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) for its efforts in reducing emissions.

CDP is an organisation collecting data on climate change measures taken by companies and evaluating them assigning ratings between "A" and "D", with a total of 8,361 companies around the world submitting data in 2019.

With its A rating, Munich Airport is now included in the top 8% in its category: a score well above the average.

Munich Airport plans to reduce its total emissions by 60% by 2030. The other 40% will be eliminated through what the Munich Airport refers to as offsetting measures - probably climate protection projects in the airport region. The efforts of Munich Airport to reduce emissions translate in an investment of €150M in its climate protection programme. The target is to reach a zero emissions level by 2050 - a resolution shared with Airport Council International Europe in line with the Paris Agreement and the EU climate neutrality target.

Reducing emissions in Airport Handling and Operations is possible - get in touch if you want us to help you with that.

We have reached the end of the month for January 2020 and also the end of our fleet management glossary—the A to Z of fleet management.

With this post, we are simply making all the links available for everyone as a resource to continue to apply the best fleet management strategies or provide some food for thought for the year 2020. Hope you are going to enjoy it!

The A to Z of fleet management and driving for work: A is for Acceleration

B is for Breakdown: the most feared issue in the A-Z of fleet management

The A-Z of fleet management: C is for Compliance—how is it impacting on fleets?

D is for Drivers: an essential ingredient in the alphabet of Fleet Management

The A to Z of fleet management: what about E for Excess?

The A-Z series: F for fuel—the biggest expense in fleet management

A-Z series: G is for GPS vehicle tracking—how technology changed the fleet sector

The A-Z series: H for Health and Safety, essential or forgotten?

The A-Z of Fleet Management: I is for Idling and why it should never happen again in your fleet

The A-Z fleet management series: J for Journey planning

Fleet management Key Performance Indicators: chapter “K” in our A-Z series

The A-Z series of fleet management: L is for Logistics

A-Z series: M is for Maintenance—a key element of fleet management

N for No: why is disagreement the latest chapter in our A-Z of fleet management series?

The A-Z series of fleet management: O for Odometer—a key piece of the puzzle

The A-Z series: P for Planner—why Fleet Managers rock at the art of planning

The A-Z fleet management series: letter Q for Questions

The A-Z series: R is for Replacement—when is it the right time to replace a fleet vehicle?

The A-Z series: S is for Strategy—why do I really need strategic fleet planning?

The A-Z fleet management series: T for Technology—the best companion of fleets and vehicles?

The A-Z series: let’s talk about U for Uptime

The A-Z series: V for vehicle data, one of the most powerful resources for any fleet

The A-Z series: W is for Workforce—staff is your best asset

The A-Z series: X for X-ray—what do telematics and X-ray have in common?

The A-Z series: Y for You—only you are ultimately responsible for your GSE fleets

A-Z: letter Z is “the end”. How many “ends” do you see as a fleet manager?

And here we are; we have finally reached the letter Z signifies the end of our A-Z series of fleet management. “The end” is going to be our topic for today as Z is the last letter of the alphabet. What are the different “ends” that fleet managers experience in their activity, and how do they face them?

#1 - End of life of a vehicle. It is definitely something fleet managers have to face. It doesn’t mean a vehicle is completely unusable if it has come to the end of its life: for fleet managers it is actually a phase when the spend for a vehicle is no longer justifiable, whether that be because it is underused or because of excessive wear and tear and it is no longer convenient for the fleet to maintain nor justify the fuel consumption. Fleet data made available from tracking software is an invaluable resource if you are thinking of replacing a vehicle with a new one or reallocating it.

#2 - End of a working relationship. It can be with a vendor; but quite often lately due to the shortage of specialised staff or to a decrease in vocational workers, it has become hard to retain drivers as the positions available have become quite numerous. But despite what could be the end of a working relationship, you can actually get to know if there is something you should change in your relations with staff. Make a wise use of exit interviews and make sure you enjoy open communication with your workers.

#3 - End of ... pen and paper. If this is something you still haven’t experienced, you might actually be invested too heavily in the old fashion way of doing things or you might spend too much time on tasks that could potentially be done in a different and quicker way. Pen and paper is no longer the tool used to manage fleets and the same is valid for spreadsheets. If you still aren’t at the end of the line regarding the pen and paper era and might need some motivation to let go ... come and talk to us.

#4 - End of the day. Well, this might actually sound obvious: every day you come to the end of the day, and you probably feel relieved that all the tasks have been performed correctly. But there is no real ... end to the duties of a fleet manager, and vehicles need to be protected as well as drivers, who need to drive safely 24/7—we know one pair of eyes that can always be kept on your assets!

Are there any other “ends” in your daily life as a fleet manager that you would like to add to the list?

We are down to the very final articles in our A-Z series of fleet management and the penultimate letter—Y for You. If you operate a fleet—whether that be GSE or not—you may actually not be considering yourself when it comes to an honest assessment of what could be done to improve the performance of your fleet or you might be turning a blind eye to unsafe practices or stuck in a routine mode of operating that maybe isn’t in the best interests of your fleet.

Let’s discuss you as a potential issue for your fleet—‘you’ is something you cannot ignore!

#1 – You spend too much time on reports and paperwork. It is certainly one of the duties of fleet managers among the other numerous responsibilities including making sure customers are satisfied, drivers are motivated and vehicles are in good working order. But unfortunately fleet managers often spend too much time bogged down in this chore while they should be relying on reports and statistics that could reduce the amount of paperwork and free you up for tasks that contribute more to the commercial development of your business.

#2 – You never assess your maintenance schedules. It might be because you do not have the time, because you still work with manual methods or simply because you are under the misconception that things will always tick along one way or another. If you are actually in possession of fleet data via different platforms or sources, you will quickly come to the realisation that different circumstances can lead to different results and that you should analyse your results on a regular basis in order to stick with the same strategy or deviate from it.

#3 – You do not compare costs and operations. Although this is something apparently uncommon today, it can be that you are using the same vendors for the same type of service or the same drivers for trips. You might be surprised how analysing costs or activity can offer us useful material to digest and assess whether to switch to another vendor or whether one driver rather than another might be more suitable for a particular route—he might actually thank you for the change; and a degree of satisfaction can definitely improve performance.

#4 – Not using failure analysis. We know the work of the fleet manager is hard and that fleet managers are often asked, although only human, to behave like machines. But we also know mistakes happen. Now, mistakes can have within them the seeds of something positive, but only if we investigate how they happened in the first place and take corrective measures to ensure they don’t happen again. So, even if you are a proud perfectionist, put that attitude out of your mind when it comes to making the most of failure analysis—you might be surprised how this might actually work for you!

According to a new report by Fact.MR, recently published in Airport Catering Trucks Market, continued demand for aircraft ground support has stimulated growth in the sector and provided opportunities for stakeholders. This is due to an increase in infrastructure investment by airport authorities and airline companies, which has stimulated demand for airport catering trucks globally.

The new study indicates that the ongoing construction of new airports in developed and emerging economies is expanding the market for airport catering trucks at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7%.

The majority of demand comes from within developed economies, North America and Europe, where the volume of sales in terms of airport catering trucks is specifically focussed in the USA, Germany, the UK and Russia. North America is very much at the forefront, with Europe in second place and a burgeoning market for air travel is also contributing to global demand.

Increased focus on airport infrastructure enhancement and expansion in the number of airports in developing economies such as China and India is motivating sales in regional markets. There will be a substantial increase in demand for airport catering trucks in China as a result of the government’s plan to construct 136 new airports by 2025. Sales in India and Oceania are also expected to surge.

Refrigeration is integral to the transportation of perishable goods and always a major consideration. However, with refrigeration comes higher costs which are passed on to the price of the airport catering truck. As a consequence of this, there is usually a higher demand for non-refrigerated trucks. There is no foreseeable reason that this position will change between the assessed period covering 2018-2028.

Fact.MR reports that hybrid catering trucks are the preferred asset of choice for end-users. The market for these types of truck are 19 times that of electric catering trucks. It is the demand for flexibility in fuel consumption and economy along with engine power and durability that make hybrid airport trucks so economically viable for end-users. This market position, however, may shift significantly toward electric catering trucks as a result of Environment Protection Act (EPA) regulations on carbon emissions and from environmental pressures, heralding a higher value CAGR, albeit from a low base.

The reports also states there is an increased emphasis on launching electric catering trucks to meet the growth in demand. Manufacturers are keen to consolidate their position in the airport catering trucks market, both within developed and emerging economies given the anticipated growth in the latter. 

The report finds that participants are focusing on to fulfil their increasing demand. In addition, manufacturers are aiming to, particularly in the emerging economies given their significant potential for growth.

Time now for the letter X in our A-Z series, and you might actually be surprised by our choice of topic for this particular article, indeed it might look a little ‘forced’ as there are limited topics we might reasonably attach to the letter X. But if you look ‘beneath the surface’ you might actually agree with us and come to see that, in the end, fleet/GSE telematics and X-ray do share some features in common: let’s see which ones!

Revealing what’s wrong. X-rays were a radical technological innovation that for the first time in medical history enabled the accurate detection of abnormalities within the body. GSE telematics systems are similarly used, though this is not the only advantage they might bring to your company or team. Added visibility and the ability to peek ‘beneath the hood’ at any given time make these tools incredibly useful in your daily operation and a precious opportunity to boost your business potential.

A painless process. You don’t feel pain when you experience an X-ray scan, do you? However, getting started with GSE telematics might appear troublesome and a bit of a ‘pain’ at first, especially as some staff members invariably object to being “tracked”. But the truth is, just like X-ray scans, you need to make sure you rely on the right professionals to make the telematics process run smoothly. Taking the proper steps to equip your GSE fleet with telematics technology by experts like Transpoco can definitely make something so apparently daunting into a seamless transition.

Proper preparation. Following on from the previous point, when you have to go for a scan, you need to listen to the instructions provided and position yourself in the best way for the procedure to work best, and possibly take contrast liquid if needed. With telematics you might need to have specific types of preparation depending on the number of vehicles you have or the metrics you want to record, but getting the best tips from reliable providers will ensure everything is ready quickly and your company is improving and saving on costs straight away.

No risks. Unless you are experiencing a very specific health condition or suffering from an allergic reaction to contrast liquid, there are practically no risks involved in the use of an X-ray scan. When it comes to fleet technology and GSE telematics, benefits can be enjoyed quickly and potential risks should decrease, especially with regards to global safety or spend. Talk to us if you have any particular concerns—we can show you how managing GSE vehicles can be a game-changer and with no risks attached!

2019 is but a few days away, and if you still haven’t found time to formulate some sensible resolutions for 2020... now is very much the time—it is never too late to get started with a few that relate to GSE fleets and the whole sector.

Let’s have a look at what might be some of the better resolutions you could make become a reality in 2020!

#1 - Reinforce productivity. If you have the right resources available and your workforce is trained to achieve the best performance, you should definitely look into reinforcing productivity from any perspective—for example, your staff may be dedicating a lot of time to something unnecessarily tedious that you could possibly automate and speed up: consider GSE assets maintenance checks, for example...

#2 - Get rid of obsolescence. Old is gold as the adage goes, but it is definitely a saying you shouldn’t always take at face value. It might be the case that you are in possession of ageing vehicles that are still efficient and work, and that’s fine, but you may also be working according to stale practices that need to be updated in favour of something more efficient or safer. If you can decide what is obsolete, of course, and have reliable sources that tell you so ... it’s always going to be that bit simpler.

#3 – Embrace the smart airport. In the last decade, air traffic has increased significantly, creating challenges for security, as well as impacting the flow of people, baggage and aircraft. Airports are heavily investing in smart technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things) to overcome these challenges and improve their efficiency and security. Several technologies such as facial recognition, smart check-in, baggage tracking and connectivity permeate every modern airport, with new trends emerging that allow a better passenger experience. With this future unfolding as we speak, and the fact that technology is everywhere we go and integral to our everyday lives, embrace the change and go with it—try to find how to exploit it; be a pioneer and make a difference.

#4 – Think about the environment. With climate change being such an emergency and many aviation actors sharing emissions related projects that seek to decrease their carbon footprint, you should definitely look into ways of diminishing the impact of this activity on the environment if you haven’t done so already. If you want to start decreasing your fuel consumption, we are here to help.

This is just four of the resolutions GSE fleets should implement—we can help you realise them all!