Rising air passenger traffic across the globe has enabled industry players and government to develop and upgrade existing airport infrastructure to enhance the air travel experience. The airlines are focused on enhancing passenger experience with faster services. Airport operators are adopting advanced technologies to reduce the delay in operations and support airline carriers to perform their departures on time. This will reduce aircraft on ground time and help airlines to enhance their profits. The five-minute delay in the departure of airlines owing to operational delays will lead to USD 35 million revenue loss for large airlines. All these will support the aircraft ground handling system market growth.

The growing adoption of innovative technologies including cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT) in ground handling systems will help airport operators for faster services. The smart baggage tags concept utilizes IoT to track baggage locations for passengers as well as airport operators. Additionally, it provides information regarding the arrival of baggage after the flight landing. The cloud computing technology enables ground operators to integrate all data of airports on a single platform to enhance the operational accuracy. These technological integrations will support the aircraft ground handling system market growth over the forecast timeframe.

The heavy snowfall in regions including North America and Europe coupled with frequent changing weather conditions will significantly affect market demand. The snow removal from the runway is a critical function in this region and incurs more fuel cost for such operations. The use of renewable energy sources for these operations including biogas snow equipment will reduce the fuel dependency of ground handlers and help airports to minimize carbon emission footprints. The adoption of such renewable sources in the system will further boost the aircraft ground handling system market penetration.

The ground handling operators require a wide range of equipment including caster beds, pallet trailers, and lift trucks. This will contribute to a high initial set-up cost of the system. Additionally, higher costs associated with the maintenance and replacement of components may limit the market expansion over the projected timeframe. The airlines are adopting technologies including Aircraft Proximity Detectors (APD) to reduce collision with ground handling equipment.

The cargo handling system will generate maximum revenue and hold its dominance in the aircraft ground handling system market over the forecast timeframe. This can be credited to the growing air cargo activities across the globe. IATA announced in their cargo strategy report 2018 that the air cargo industry accounts for 35% of the global trade value in 2017. The pharmaceutical industry is significantly relying on air cargo services owing to the speedy transportation of high-value and temperature-sensitive products such as vaccines. In 2017, the pharmaceutical industry spent USD 13.4 billion on temperature-controlled cargo.

The passenger handling system is estimated to generate significant revenue by 2025. The segment is showing a significant growth rate owing to the growing air travel for business & tourism activities. The passengers demanding faster & advanced services from airline operators will force the operator to invest in the passenger handling system. The IATA has forecast that the air passenger traffic will reach USD 7.8 billion by 2036. All these will support the aircraft ground handling system market penetration.

North America aircraft ground handling system market holds its dominance over the forecast timeframe. The dominance is owing to the increasing infrastructural activities to support the growing air cargo demand and passenger traffic in the region. For instance, in February 2019, Pittsburgh International Airport got approval from the government to invest USD 1.1 billion in the infrastructural development. The development will help the airport to accommodate higher passenger traffic and make on-time and faster departures and is expected to complete by 2023.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region in the aircraft ground handling system market over the study timeframe. Increasing tourism coupled with the opening of new airports in the region will support market growth. For instance, in May 2018, Beiging International Airport authority announced that a new airport will be operational from October 2019 and will be able to accommodate 620,000 flights per year. Additionally, regional economic expansion will further provide new opportunities for market penetration.

Major players in the aircraft ground handling system market include Celebi, Swissport, Celebi, Sats Ltd., Bhadra International, Dnata, Air+Mak, and John Menzies plc. The other notable industry players include CargoTec, PrimeFlight, RampSnake, Cavotec SA, and JBT AeroTech. Long-term contracts with airport operators are among the key strategies adopted by industry players to enhance their market share in the aircraft ground handling system market. For instance, in June 2018, Celebi received a 10-year contract from Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), India. This contract enables Celebi to expand its presence in India and increase market share.