SAHCO ACQUIRES NEW FLEET OF GROUND HANDLING EQUIPMENT.

Posted by SAHCOL-A2

Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc has boosted her fleet of Ground Support Equipment (GSE) with more ultra-modern equipment.

The new fleet of equipment acquired by SAHCO are 50 Cargo pallet dollies and 25 (AKES) container dollies. These GSE which were manufactured by Bombelli, Italy, one of the best GSE manufacturing companies in Europe, renowned for building rugged GSE well suited for African terrain.

Speaking during the commissioning of the equipment which took place at the Maintenance office of Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) PLC at  MM2, Lagos, the Managing Director/CEO of  SAHCO, Basil Agboarunmi said the company’s management decision to constantly invest in modern Ground Handling Equipment is due to the fact that SAHCO is always pursuing excellent services to clients. “We are an aviation Ground Handling provider and what we stand for and want to be known for is not just to provide services but to provide excellent Ground Handling Services and we have an understanding as an organization that for us to be able to provide that kind of services, we must have staff that are well trained in what they do while provided with the right equipment to work with.

Like I always say, if you know the history of SAHCO when it was taken over by Sifax Group in 2009, one of the things that the Sifax Group did for SAHCO is what I call the massive deployment of equipment and I stand to be corrected, in my years in this industry, I have not seen such courage like we saw in 2010 when the Sifax Group took over SAHCO, since then a lot of good things have been happening and that has to do not just with getting equipment but buying modern, state-of-the art Ground Handling equipment into the SAHCO operation and that has endeared us to many clients”

He stressed that because SAHCO’s management knows that the best way to provide excellent Ground Handling services is to continue to invest in Ground Handling equipment hence the reason for the company’s massive investment in equipment.

In his remarks, the Assistant General Manager (AGM) Maintenance and Engineering. Engineer Toyin Oriowo who facilitated the purchase of the equipment said the features of Cargo pallet dollies and AKES container dollies cannot be found in any other company’s fleets of equipment because it was specially requested by SAHCO and they are made specifically to fit Nigeria’s environmental condition. He stressed that the reason for buying the equipment from Bombelli, Italy is because of the fact that they are the best equipment manufacturing company and their products are rugged and can withstand our terrain.

While thanking SAHCO’s Chairman and Management, the Executive Director, Cargo Services and Operations, Mrs. Boma Ukwunna said that the new equipment will go a long way in helping cargo operations across all stations where SAHCO operate from. She pledged that the company will not relent in delivering safe, speedy and excellent services to clients, “My commitment as the officer in charge of operations and cargo is to ensure that what the company has invested in and has given to us to perform our duty is used well and the delivery is excellent to our clients and that, I commit to.”

Cargo pallet dollies are GSE used for the transportation of Cargo and baggage from the Aircraft to the warehouse and back. They make loading and offloading fast and seamless.

The Dollies acquired by SAHCO are fitted with spring-loaded suspension as shock absorbers to support the wheels assembly when dollies are loaded with cargo and baggage. This ultra-modern technology helps to reduce the effect of uneven nature of the ramp on the wheel bearings making them noiseless and last longer.

Also, they are fitted with spring-loaded rollers and Spring-loaded brakes, making them more suitable for the rugged nature of the African terrain.

Another unique feature of the dollies is that the tow arm is equipped with dampers to prevent the tow head from hitting the ground when disentangled from the tractor or from other dollies.  The Cargo pallet dollies can also perform dual functions by being used as container dollies that is capable of conveying 2 AKE’s from one point to the other.

Skyway Aviation Handling Company PLC is an aviation ground handling company that is involved in various services which includes Passenger Handling, Ramp Handling, Cargo Handling and warehousing and all the actions that takes place from the time an aircraft touches down on the tarmac to the time it is airborne, while also ensuring that Ground Handling assignment is carried out in an efficient, speedy and safe manner.