page_title: Ground support equipment
section_title: Belt loaders
hierarchical_section_title: Ground support equipment / Powered equipment / Belt loaders
caption_attribution_description: Belt baggage loader at Tenerife South Airport
context_page_description: Ground Support Equipment is the support equipment found at an airport, usually on the apron, the servicing area by the terminal. This equipment is used to service the aircraft between flights. As the name suggests, ground support equipment is there to support the operations of aircraft whilst on the ground. The role of this equipment generally involves ground power operations, aircraft mobility, and cargo/passenger loading operations.
  Many airlines subcontract ground handling to an airport or a handling agent, or even to another airline. Ground handling addresses the many service requirements of a passenger aircraft between the time it arrives at a terminal gate and the time it departs for its next flight. Speed, efficiency, and accuracy are important in ground handling services in order to minimize the turnaround time.
  Small airlines sometimes subcontract maintenance to a much larger and reputable carrier, as it is a short-term cheaper alternative to setting up an independent maintenance base. Some airlines may enter into a Maintenance and Ground Support Agreement with each other, which is used by airlines to assess costs for maintenance and support to aircraft.
context_section_description: Belt loaders are vehicles with conveyor belts for unloading and loading of baggage and cargo onto aircraft. A belt loader is positioned at the door sill of an aircraft hold (baggage compartment) during operation. Belt loaders are used for narrowbody aircraft, and the bulk hold of wide body aircraft. Stowing baggage without containers is known as bulk loading.
caption: Belt loader
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