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US ground handling equipment: industry benchmarking survey 2026
Launched by Aviramp at the AAAE Annual Conference and Exposition, Los Angeles, May 2026
About you
*
1.
Which best describes your role?
(Required.)
Chief executive / president
Vice president of operations / aviation
Director of airports / aviation
Director of capital development / procurement
Not applicable
Other (please specify)
*
2.
Which best describes your organisation?
(Required.)
Airport operator
Airline (operating own ground handling)
Aviation authority / regulatory body
Not applicable
Other (please specify)
Standards and compliance
*
3.
When specifying boarding equipment, which standards frameworks does your organisation typically reference?
(Required.)
FAA/ARP designations
IATA AHM standards
Both equally
Internal/company standards only
Not applicable
*
4.
Does your procurement process require suppliers to provide independent certification of standards compliance, rather than self-declaration?
(Required.)
Yes, always
Sometimes, depending on contract value
No — self-declaration is accepted
Unsure
Not applicable
*
5.
How confident are you that the boarding equipment you currently operate genuinely meets the standards cited in your procurement process?
(Required.)
Very confident — independently verified
Confident — supplier confirmed compliance
Somewhat confident — assumed compliant
Unsure
Not applicable
Total cost of ownership
*
6.
When procuring boarding equipment, how significant is total cost of ownership compared to initial purchase price in your decision-making?
(Required.)
Initial price is the primary driver
Both are considered equally
Total cost of ownership is the primary driver
We do not currently calculate total cost of ownership
Not applicable
*
7.
How would you rate your organisation's current visibility of the total cost of ownership of your boarding equipment?
(Required.)
Excellent — we track all costs across the lifecycle
Good — we have a reasonable picture
Limited — we track some costs but not all
Poor — we have little visibility beyond purchase price
Not applicable
Procurement challenges
*
8.
What are the biggest challenges your organisation faces in ground handling equipment procurement? (Select up to three)
(Required.)
Initial cost / budget constraints
Difficulty verifying supplier compliance claims
Maintenance costs and reliability
Passenger accessibility requirements
Sustainability / net zero targets
Residual value and asset lifecycle
Lack of clear standards guidance
Other (please specify)
Optional: stay informed
If you would like to receive the published findings of this survey, please leave your details below. All individual responses remain anonymous.
9.
Name:
10.
Job title:
11.
Organisation:
12.
Email:
Thank you for taking part.
