Every day, airfields operate at the intersection of speed and precision. Aircraft taxi in tight corridors. Ground crews manage fueling, loading, and unloading, while vehicles navigate crowded gates and busy service lanes.
These tasks demand the utmost precision, yet the tarmac remains one of the most unpredictable and hazardous environments in aviation.
The Flight Safety Foundation reports roughly 27,000 ramp accidents per year worldwide — that’s about one per 1,000 departures — and more than $10 billion in annual damages.
The wide variety of ground support equipment — low-slung baggage tugs, towering stair trucks, and everything in between — creates a range of blind spots and collision risks unique to each asset. Compounding these hazards are inconsistent traffic rules across airfields, leaving too much to chance in high-risk zones. Add in communication breakdowns and cellular dead zones in remote corners or underground areas, and ground crews are often left operating without a full picture of their surroundings.
Fortunately, AI-powered technology is changing what’s possible on the tarmac, giving leaders the visibility they need to spot risks earlier, respond faster, and keep crews and equipment safe.
Why airport ground support equipment tracking is key to safer operations
From tracking vehicle location to ensuring every inspection gets logged, the right systems help managers reduce risk and standardize operations in an environment where small mistakes can have big consequences.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that preventable ground damage costs airlines more than $5 billion annually, a number that could double by 2035, unless airports invest in enhanced GSE and smarter systems.
That’s why visibility into ground support equipment is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s essential.
When operators can locate assets in real time, they minimize costly delays and keep turnarounds on schedule. When usage data is tracked consistently, leaders can spot underused or overworked equipment and allocate resources more effectively. And when inspections and maintenance records are digital and centralized, issues are addressed before they escalate into downtime or damage.
Together, these capabilities create a safer, more efficient ground environment where crews stay protected, flights stay on time, and assets stay in service.
Improving aircraft ground handling safety with AI-powered visibility
Blind spots, inconsistent communication, and unpredictable traffic patterns make the tarmac one of the most challenging working environments to manage. Too often, incidents are only uncovered after damage has already been done, leaving teams scrambling to respond.
AI-powered cameras like the Motive AI Dashcam help close these gaps. By detecting unsafe driving behaviors in real time and alerting operators to them instantly, workers have the chance to correct course before an accident occurs.
When an event does take place, operators can review video clips in the Motive Driver App, follow self-coaching tips, and improve on their own time — without involving their manager.
In remote work environments like airport tarmacs, the Motive AI Omnicam can add 360° visibility to confirm compliance, uncover root causes, and identify training needs — a critical safeguard where oversight is limited.
With these tools in place, ground operations teams can benefit from:
- Earlier hazard detection: Near-collisions and unsafe driving behaviors are flagged immediately, giving crews time to act.
- Greater visibility into blind spots: Coverage around gates, tunnels, and wing overhangs helps reduce accidents in areas where line-of-sight is limited or obstructed.
- Real-time data for managers: Event logs and safety trends provide immediate insight into recurring risks, so teams can address root causes rather than symptoms.
This combination gives crews the visibility they need to prevent problems before they escalate. At the same time, managers get clear data to make informed safety decisions in the critical seconds they need to be made.
Airport ground support equipment tracking that keeps flights on schedule
Flight delays cost U.S. airlines about $33 billion a year — and many delays involve ground crews and equipment. That’s why real-time tracking is essential to safety and staying on schedule.
Despite the stakes, many ground operations still rely on outdated methods like radio calls, paper logs, or word-of-mouth updates to locate critical ground support equipment (GSE). But methods like these can’t keep up with the pace and complexity of modern airfields.
Automated technology helps crews replace guesswork with real-time clarity. Tools like the Motive Asset Gateway provide instant visibility into the location, status, and condition of every asset, no matter if it’s parked or moving.
With Motive Asset Gateways in place, teams can expect improvements such as:
- Faster equipment location: GPS and telematics pinpoint the exact location of every asset, so managers don’t have to waste time hunting down equipment.
- Smarter asset utilization: Usage data highlights overworked or idle assets, helping managers rebalance workloads and extend the life of equipment.
- Fewer operational delays: With assets tracked and accounted for, crews spend less time scrambling and more time executing turnarounds on schedule.
By shifting from reactive scrambles to data-driven efficiency, Motive helps ground operations stay focused on keeping flights moving and passengers on time.
Ground crew safety management for slip-seat accountability
In ground operations, a single vehicle might cycle through multiple drivers in one shift.
Baggage tugs, pushback tractors, and de-icing rigs often rotate among dozens of operators daily — a system known as “slip seating.” While this model may keep work moving, it doesn’t do much for accountability.
And without real-time visibility, when an incident happens, managers are often left asking: Who was driving?
Motive technology is designed to help close these gaps by connecting ground crews to the assets they use.
- Driver ID Reader: Assigns each operator to a specific vehicle with a simple tap of an RFID card.
- AI Dashcams with Face Match: Uses AI-powered facial recognition to identify drivers instantly, tracking unauthorized use of critical assets. (Please note: Face Match is not available in Illinois.)
- Motive Driver App: Enables quick app-based check-ins and logouts, making it easy for crews to stay connected to the right equipment.
This accountability supports targeted coaching, continuous operator improvement, and proactive safety improvements. Slip-seat operations stay fast and flexible, while managers gain the clarity they need to prevent costly mistakes before they happen.
From fragmented reports to real-time insights with AI
On the tarmac, when an incident occurs, every second matters. But too often, reporting is slow, incomplete, and dependent on memory. By the time managers track down notes or witness accounts, valuable details are missing.
Motive simplifies this process by turning fragmented reporting into a connected, real-time workflow.
Whether it’s a near miss, unsafe maneuver, or collision, each event is captured with telematics data tied to the asset and operator. Managers no longer need to reconstruct what happened — they get the complete story immediately.
That clarity enables more than just faster responses. Motive surfaces patterns in driver behavior, equipment use, and high-risk zones, giving leaders valuable insight into where to focus improvements.
With these tools, safety shifts from a checklist of past events to a forward-looking strategy for preventing them.
A smarter, safer future for aviation ground Ops
By combining AI, telematics, and connected workflows, The Motive platform gives ground operations teams the clarity they need to respond to risks sooner, prevent delays, and adapt to shifting conditions in real time.
The outcome goes beyond fewer incidents or more efficient turnarounds to a safer, more resilient operation that protects people and assets and saves time.
For fleets under constant pressure to deliver on time and on budget, that can create a measurable competitive edge.
