Ground support equipment, or GSE, is used to serve aircraft between flights. If you’ve ever looked out the plane window while the plane is still parked at the gate, you’ve seen GSE methodically moving around the tarmac and plane, facilitating various services like cargo and passenger baggage loading and unloading, and pushing the airplane back from the gate. GSE is a very important part of airport and airline operations as it helps ensure everything that is needed to get the plane back in the sky is accomplished in a safe and timely manner.  

SAN was recently awarded $3.9 million in grant money from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to purchase and install 39 dual-port charging stations for 78 pieces of electric GSE. The funds were granted through the FAA’s Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) program that improves airport air quality and provides air quality credits for future airport development.

The grant funds will support SAN’s expansion of Terminal 2 airside chargers and help facilitate our airline partners’ conversion from gas and diesel to electric GSE. Through the Airport Authority’s Clean Transportation Plan which is a part of our larger Sustainability Management Program, SAN is working towards our goal of zero emissions ground transportation vehicles and equipment utilized by the airport and our partners. The grant money helps us towards this goal, and we appreciate the FAA’s funding.