Air Tech Italy recently spoke to AVIOGEI’s CEO Andrea Cesarini.
AVIOGEI is one of the leading suppliers of Ground Handling equipment in the world. Andrea has been the CEO since 2019, before then Andrea managed the sales of AVIOGEI as GM for Italy.
Most travelers around the world have been using AVIOGEI whether the conveyor belts to bring luggage in the planes, the stairs to enter the plane or the Thunderlift range which helps passengers with reduced mobility get in the plane.
The company also plays a key role in the electrification of airports since the majority of the AVIOGEI’s equipment is now fully electric.
Andrea, can you tell us a bit more about that electrification of your products?
Andrea: “Early on we took the necessary steps to develop the electric versions of our products, we did not just create electric versions of our equipment, we spent a lot of development work on the batteries with a long duration and a long lifetime as a result. 85% of our current sales are now made by electric vehicles. Being a frontrunner clearly pays off as most airports are going for a zero emission strategy and the electrification of all vehicles plays a key role in this.”
You spoke of some great new contracts in 2023, can you tell us more?
Andrea: “Not only airports, one of our most important contracts last year was with American Airlines (AA). AA acquired our electrical conveyer belts, as a matter of fact this was our last delivery for 2023 so we ended the year in beauty as this is really one of our top products, not only sales wise but also on a technical level. We engineered the battery technology so that it outlasts our competitors with several days resulting in a far lower energy consumption which also leads to a much lower need for maintenance and a longer battery lifetime. Apart from American Airlines we won important contracts with the airports of Manchester, Newcastle, Frankfurt, Charles de Gaulle, Orly and many more so we are extremely happy with how customers continue to embrace our portfolio.”
Can we say that your early focus on electrification is your key advantage?
Andrea: “For sure, our early role in the electrification of ground handling vehicles and the progress we made with regards to battery technology is key. However let’s not forget that we have always been known for the excellent quality of our products and our services offer, which means that customers trust us to deliver best-in-class quality and that clearly helped us in introducing our electrical equipment much faster and gain a larger market share. Recently one of our key customers stated that we had one of the highest availability rates when it comes to ground handling equipment with an excellent 98% availability throughout the year which really stands out in the market and this customer was not alone in stating this. We have invested a lot in services including the development of remote services which means we monitor all equipment and can already solve most of the potential technical issues before they lead to a malfunctioning.”
As a conclusion can we say that AVIOGEI is on a roll?
Andrea: “Definitely, we have an excellent product range ready to support the energy transition initiatives at airports and airlines, we have one of the most complete offers on the market and because of our continued growth we will further expand our production facilities in the US where we are moving to a bigger production facility thanks to the increased demand in the North American market. And let’s not forget the continued growth potential in all other regions which look quite healthy. 2024 will be more than ever a great electrifying AVIOGEI year.”
Many thanks Andrea!