GSE: The Ground Team That Helps Delta Take Flight

The Ground Support Equipment team is responsible for maintaining Delta’s machinery on the ground at airports all over the world, working around the clock to keep our people safe, our systems moving and our customers satisfied. 

When you look out the window at the airport, you will see an entire ecosystem working together to get you to your destination: Your bag being pulled in a cart to your aircraft, jet bridges connecting to your plane and many other carts, trucks, belts and ramps. What you will not see are the hours of hard work done in Delta’s Ground Support Equipment (GSE) shops to ensure these machines operate smoothly. 

The GSE team is responsible for maintaining Delta’s machinery on the ground at airports all over the world. Delta has over 400,000 individual pieces of equipment that, when working together, helps to run a seamless operation. However, this equipment needs to be serviced routinely to ensure it operates safely and reliably. This is where our behind-the-scenes team comes into play. Our team of skilled GSE mechanics and technicians work around the clock to keep our people safe, our systems moving and our customers satisfied.

“Just about every minute of the day, a GSE team member is unjamming strap, wheel or zipper in a bag system somewhere that caused a bag to get stuck,” said Lourens Van Aswegen, Director – GSE. “Our team also does heavy maintenance work every day like changing engines, refurbishing transmissions, overhauling AC systems and much more. They fix the little things, like flat tires, and the big things, like installing jet bridges onto buildings. They truly do it all.” 

The GSE team is made up of Ground Maintenace Mechanics (GMMs) and Ground Maintenace Technicians (GMTs). These are highly skilled roles that involve deep expertise in electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems. Their skills play a vital role in keeping our Mishandled Bag Rate low and our departures on schedule. GSE also has central support teams that span the disciplines of engineering, asset management, analytics, safety, and maintenance planning. 

Lead GMT in Boston, Shawn Burke, described what GSE means to the average traveler. He reminds our customers that, “as you look out the terminal window at all the moving equipment, GSE is the maintenance department that keeps everything on the ground up and running safely and efficiently, including the jetway you're walking down to get on the plane and the baggage system moving your luggage with you.”

The importance of GSE is apparent and Delta is committed to investing in its future. Currently, Delta’s mobile GSE fleet is worth well over $1 billion. Over the past three years, we have invested significantly in new equipment. Many of these new investments include electric vehicles, which are energy efficient and environmentally friendly. In fact, our core GSE fleet is on track to be 39% electric by the end of this year. 

As GSE team members solve problems, they expand their knowledge of equipment and new technology. Boston-based GMT, Anthony Canali, shared that it is always exciting to learn more about a new type of machinery. Before Boston got new de-ice trucks, Anthony had the chance to visit the truck manufacturing facility in Orlando. 

“I got to see the trucks that I work on pretty regularly in the wintertime, from just the frame to complete, and I got to see them in all the different stages,” Anthony shared. “It was an extraordinary experience. Then seeing them arrive on tractor trailers coming into our shop, and seeing them in operation was really, really cool.” 

Next time you are sitting at a gate looking out the window or walking onto your plane, remember the teamwork that makes it all possible.