Author: Karina Læssøe

February 16, 2023

Venice Airport has benefited from the use of the Danish produced Vestergaard Elephant^® BETA deicers for years. A fleet of 7 Vestergaard BETAs enables a safe winter flying season with around 500-600 de-icing operations per season at Marco Polo Airport. Especially the morning ice and frost situations require a high level of commitment from the team on site.

Equipped with a telescopic spray boom and a highly movable spray nozzle, the Elephant BETA deicer can reach heights of 21 m. The impressive reach of the Elephant^® BETA ensures effective deicing as applying the heated deicing fluid as close to the snow and ice on the aircraft as possible maximizes the effect as hardly any heat and fluid is lost when spraying.

Safety is a top priority for the operators of the million-dollar aircraft, therefore the BETAs are equipped with sensors – tusks – that immediately switch off further movement if they touch an obstacle.

The deicing tusks have been a good solution for many years, but as technology advances, aircraft materials are also changing, and the new generation aircraft are constructed with carbon composite materials. Accidental mechanical contact with these new fuselage structures requires inspection of this area and may result in flight delays.

To keep up with technological developments of aircraft and to avoid flight delays in such situations, Venice Airport decided to upgrade their trucks with a new technology Vestergaard Company has created: a new radar system, which enables contact-free safe de-icing. The tusks are replaced by a radar system near the deicer spray nozzle, which initially slows down the movements of the deicer when approaching an obstacle and indicates this visually and audibly and stops it completely in minimum distance reached – with the radar system an aircraft touch is avoided completely.

Retrofitting of the first vehicles was possible for the newer generation of the BETAs and was carried out in January 2023. A Vestergaard mobile service team did the installation directly at Marco Polo Airport and the units were able to quickly resume de-icing with the new technology – the first ones modified in that way in Italy.

At present numerous aircraft have already been de-iced with the radar-equipped BETAs and Andrea Florian, safety supervisor at Marco Polo Airport, is absolutely delighted with the ease of use and added safety of this option. It works reliably in any weather; be it fog or precipitation.

November 30, 2022

Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne is happy to announce the delivery of their first Vestergaard deicer – the Elephant® e-Mini MY Lite.

The Elephant® e-Mini MY Lite to Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne is the first fully electrical deicer delivered globally marking a significant step in ground handling sustainability and fitting perfectly in Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne’s sustainable strategy of reducing carbon emissions, as part of VINCI Airports, to reach net zero emissions by 2050. A new step has thus been taken by the airport, with the financial support of SMACFA (Syndicat Mixte Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne), in the electrification of airport ground handling vehicles, alongside other actions already deployed such as the replacement of all of the lighting system with LEDs or the introduction of temperature instructions to reduce the energy consumption of buildings.

The e-Mini MY Lite is built on the “Vestergaard e” – electrical chassis and the fluid is heated electrically as well. The deicer services aircraft up to B757 with a tank capacity of 4,000 liters.

The e-Mini MY Lite to Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand has a 40-kwh battery (a 62-kwh battery is also a possibility) and can handle 8-12 deicings depending on rate of contamination/fluid needs and can drive 40-75 km on a single charge. The unit comes with on-board charger for the chassis and plugin for the heater.

Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport, the leading tool for developing economic and tourist attractiveness, is the gateway to the Auvergne region and its many tourist attractions. Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport has been managed by the VINCI Airports group since 2008. This delegated management contract is part of the process of decentralising the management of French regional airports. It includes the operation, maintenance and upkeep of the airport platform: terminal building, runways and equipment as well as commercial facilities.

Vestergaard Company has a high strategic focus on sustainability within ground handling continuously developing the Vestergaard units to accommodate the journey toward more sustainable airport operations. Vestergaard Company has a goal of offering a full product line for performing CO2 neutral ground handling operations by 2030. The fully electrical e-Mini MY Lite marks yet another step of the journey for reducing environmental footprint by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Damien Le Gac, Country Manager Vestergaard Company France, says: “Vestergaard Company is proud to supply its first 100% electrical deicer, the e-Mini MY Lite to the Airport of Clermont Ferrand Auvergne and Vinci Airports. We hope the new unit will be a big success for this – for us – new customer, and we are happy to be able to contribute to the ambition of Vinci Airports to reaching zero emissions by 2050.”

Hervé Bonin, Managing Director of Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne – VINCI Airports: “This is not the first time that Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne has entered the aviation history books. As early as 1916, Michelin built the world’s first concrete-paved runway on the current site of the airport for the needs of the Bréguet aircraft built for the French army. In 2021, the airport was the 1^st in France to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). We are proud to be able to offer and implement, in Clermont-Ferrand, immediate and effective responses to aviation decarbonization challenges, led by VINCI Airports »

Emmanuel Bouhier, Director of the Syndicat Mixte of Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne: “The Syndicat Mixte and, through it, the local authorities, carry out the airport’s investments. The investments ensure a future for this public infrastructure necessary for the territory for its economic, cultural and social attractiveness. The future of air transport today depends on the decarbonization of activities in flight but also on the ground. In all important transitions, pioneers are needed. The Syndicat Mixte is proud to fulfill this function of general interest by hosting today at of Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne the first electric de-icer in the world! »

Press contact Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport, Cindy HUGON-DUPRAT : c.hugonduprat@aeroport-clermont.fr

September 12, 2022

Vestergaard Company and Kalmar Motor are pleased to announce that Vestergaard Company has acquired the remaining shares in Kalmar Motor, hereby being the sole shareholder of the company.

Vestergaard Company’s acquisition of Kalmar Motor is a natural next step in the close cooperation between the companies. The strategic partnership began in 2017 and have proved very fruitful and beneficial for both. Since its beginning the cooperation has developed and expanded, where the companies today work closely on both Sales and Service.

“We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to continue the proud legacy of Kalmar Motor. We are extremely proud to be able to bring together the best-in-class products and offer our customers a strong brand such as Kalmar Motor. Both companies place a great emphasis on delivering highly efficient and sustainable airport equipment to customers around the world”, says CEO at Vestergaard Company, Stefan Vestergaard.

Magnus Johansson, CEO at Kalmar Motor adds: “It has been important for me to ensure the continuity of Kalmar Motor – for the benefit of the customers and employees. Our long-term partnership has been a success, and I am confident Vestergaard Company is the best owner to take Kalmar Motor to the next level.”

Vestergaard Company and Kalmar Motor will continue as independent companies and brands. Magnus Johansson will continue as Board member in the Board of Directors, offering his support in the transition period. The cooperation between the companies will be further strengthened to position each better for future growth. In the short term, investments have been made to increase the production capacity in Kalmar Motor, in order to keep up with the growing demand for their innovative electrical tractors.

For more information please contact:

Stefan Vestergaard, +45 4642 2222 or sv@vestergaardcompany.com

Vestergaard Company A/S designs, produces and services airport equipment based on

advanced technology. The Vestergaard product line sets the standard for quality, functionality

and durability in the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) industry, primarily supplying: Deicing

Systems, Vacuum Toilet Service systems, Water Service Systems and Aircraft Washing Systems.

Kalmar Motor AB is a company specialized in vehicles for moving aircraft. The company was established in 1969, is privately owned and is located in the city of Kalmar Sweden. Product range today include both conventional towbar tractors and towbarless (TBL) tractors with capacity of handling from regional aircraft up to wide bodies.

Vestergaard Company and Kalmar Motor, September 12^th, 2022

May 24, 2022

In 2022 Vestergaard Company celebrates its 60th anniversary.

Vestergaard Company was founded in 1962 by Godtfred Vestergaard, father of Stefan Vestergaard, who has been CEO of Vestergaard Company since 1996. Here in 2022, several members of the 3rd generation of the Vestergaard family are also involved with the company.

Godtfred Vestergaard was a true entrepreneur, and already as a boy, he had an abundance of extraordinary ideas. In 1969 he developed his first aircraft deicer – the so-called Beanstalk – which was sold to SAS in Copenhagen. This idea set off the development which has led to the current product range within Ground Support Equipment.

Since the Beanstalk, the Elephant® deicers have been continuously developed, and several new product types have also been added to the portfolio, including units for aircraft washing as well as units for water and toilet servicing of aircraft.

Vestergaard Company provides products and solutions in a quality league of their own. The main focus of today is sustainability. Vestergaard Company has already brought the first fully green products to the market and within the next few years the full product range will be available in sustainable versions.

In addition to the company’s 60 anniversary Vestergaard Company also celebrates the 25th anniversary of Vestergaard Company North America and the 10th anniversary of Vestergaard Company in Thailand in 2022.

The company focus remains on producing and delivering equipment that optimizes customer’s daily operations, and on ensuring that aircraft can takeoff safely and on time!

April 21, 2022

Airpro has made a significant investment in electric deicers to be used at Helsinki Airport. Greener aviation is the future and Airpro is dedicated to being a part of this journey.

Airpro has made a significant decision to place an order with Denmark-based market leader Vestergaard Company for four Elephant e-BETA deicers to be delivered for next winter season. With this 4M€ investment, Airpro continues its journey of creating greener ground handling in Finland.

Airpro is committed to helping its customer airlines to meet their goals of reducing CO2. With this strategic decision, Airpro is the first ground handling company in Finland to be able to offer electric de-icing services. It also makes Helsinki Airport the first airport in the Nordics and fourth in the world to have electric deicers.

“This investment emphasizes our dedication to creating high-quality green ground handling for our customers. There would have been more affordable diesel units in the market, but even in these challenging times in our industry, we want to continue according to our fleet strategy and focus on energy and emission efficiency in all our GSE. Elephant e-BETA deicers with its new technology answers our needs perfectly”, says Acting Managing Director Joona Hurmerinta from Airpro.

Vestergaard Elephant e-BETA deicer is unique in the GSE industry. After final testing last year, equipment with the latest technology is now in use in a few locations globally. For Airpro the sustainability issues and approach of Vestergaard Company played an important role.

“We are thrilled about Airpro’s desire to provide electric ground handling solutions to their customers. The new Elephant e-BETA technology reduces greenhouse gasses and sound emissions and creates better working conditions for the personnel, which has always been an important value for us in Vestergaard. One of the things we share with Airpro.”, says Sales & Marketing Vice President Lars Barsøe from Vestergaard Company. 

April 12, 2022

Vestergaard Company is very excited to be exhibiting at the GXE Expo Europe 13-15 September at Paris Le Bourget Exhibition Centre.

At the GSE Expo Europe, Vestergaard Company will be on stand EX34 where we will show the new and most recent Vestergaard GSE solutions with special focus on our sustainable product line.

We welcome all your questions regarding our company, products, and services. There will be representatives present for all our international markets as well as representatives with in depth knowledge of both our service team and our data transmission system.

Register your place here. The GSE Expo Europe, Paris is a show designed by the GSE community to best meet the needs of the GSE Community. Your attendance is free subject to meeting our qualifying criteria.

Key benefits of attending GSE Expo Europe:

The world has changed – ensure your GSE strategy keeps up: The pandemic has triggered the biggest change in front-line equipment usage on the apron in a generation. Make sure your strategy stays relevant with advice from GSE industry leaders and the chance to witness new equipment features.

Discover autonomous vehicles/sustainable kit and advanced safety features: Check out all of the latest developments from the world’s top suppliers under one roof.

A community show geared to your needs: Tailor made by major equipment manufacturers to serve as a targeted forum for helping customers overcome the biggest challenges facing the GSE market.

Premium Networking: Enjoy quality dialogue with experts. Click here to view the exhibitor list.(link to https://www.gse-expo-europe.com/exhibitors)

GSE Expo Europe is brought to you by IAMEA in partnership with GHI.

Vestergaard Company cordially invite you to join us  in Paris this September

February 8, 2022

The climate goals of Stuttgart Airport are extremely ambitious and were adjusted in 2021 resulting in a goal to have CO₂ neutral operations in the state airport already by 2040 – ten years earlier than originally planned.

The airport has successfully tested the new sustainable Elephant® e-BETA aircraft deicer in 2021 and has recently placed an order with Vestergaard Company for two new Elephant® e-BETAs to be delivered before next season.

Martin Hofmann, head of Stuttgart Airport GSE fleet, says: “We followed the global news of a Vestergaard Company electrically operated aircraft deicer with great interest. Since 2012 we have been successfully using the conventional type of Elephant BETAs in a fleet of 6 vehicles and have already been able to achieve significant savings and reduced environmental impact in the use of less deicing fluid. Vestergaard offered us the opportunity to test the e-BETA in 2021. The possibility of noticeable reduced greenhouse gasses, including carbon dioxide and sound emissions during ​​deicing operations, convinced us to procure this pioneering technology as part of the further implementation of our EFLEET concept.”

Peter Nowak, head of Aircraft De-/Anti-icing and Environmental Coordinator with Stuttgart Airport was enthusiastic about the e-BETA test right from the start: “It is a huge advantage for us that Vestergaard has created the e-BETA with an operation almost identical to the existing models. This means that there is no need for additional training and our drivers can quickly and seamlessly switch from the BETA to the e-BETA. The new Elephant® e-BETA causes fewer local emissions and offers even better working conditions for our employees on the apron. We are very much looking forward to starting emission-free aircraft de-icing with the e-BETAS from winter 2022/23.”

Further strengthening the Stuttgart Airport EFLEET a fully electric Vestergaard water service unit will also be delivered to Stuttgart in summer 2022.

October 7, 2021

Based on the customer ambitions with goals of a carbon neutral future, Vestergaard Company is engineering green solutions.

With the development and launch of the e-BETA, the world’s first electrically operated deicing unit, challenges are met to achieve both short term and long-term goals.

Customers are dedicated to meeting carbon neutral goals in the short term but pending installation of infrastructure to power green GSE is creating a strain on the industry’s goals of a carbon neutral future.

Vestergaard’s e-BETA is the solution. When infrastructure is in place, the unit can be charged fully electric thru a power cable, but in cases where a ground cable is not (yet) available, the e-BETA allows customers the option to power the unit with the domain engine. The engine can recharge the onboard battery system for electric operation. These options allow customers to adapt to specific airport situations.

The Kalmar TBL 190 E towbarless pushback tractor was designed on the same concept. The TBL190 can be used as pushback tractor, or for maintenance towing to handle the CRJ to 777X range of aircraft. The TBL 190 can be built in an all-electric battery model, or hybrid with on board GPU for aircraft power and battery charging.

The Vestergaard e-VTS is a fully electric lavatory service unit built on a Vestergaard chassis and designed to operate with exceptional reliability in the most extreme climates.

All models are on display at the GSE show in Las Vegas and have been capturing a lot of attention.

Please take the time to come and visit with us at booth #OS290 to see what we have to offer.

April 8, 2021

Vestergaard Company will not participate in inter airport Europe 2021. Instead we are thrilled to announce our involvement in the launch of the new GSE Expo Europe – organized by the GSE community for the GSE community!

Premiering at the Paris le Bourget exhibition complex about 10 kilometers outside Paris 13-15 September 2022 the new GSE Expo will be a GSE focused and cost-effective event showcasing GSE innovation, products, and services.

Going forward the GSE Expo Europe will take place in the even years in Europe, opposite the US based International GSE Expo which will take place in the odd years.

Lars Barsoe from Vestergaard Company says: “We are excited about this change. Transformation comes out of one of the worst crisis in our industry’s history. Inter Airport was moved to November, which would be very challenging for outside exhibitors, and this just accelerated our wish to take matters into our own hands. Own hands here are defined as the large manufacturers of GSE. We look forward to having the event in Paris Le Bourget – home of the Paris Air Show and an active airport.”

Behind the new GSE Expo Europe are a larger group of IAEMA members in partnership with the industry renowned Ground Handling International.

February 25, 2021

Press release, 25 February 2021, Edinburgh

Menzies Aviation, the global aviation services specialist, today announces its trial of the Vestergaard Elephant® e-BETA, a new electrically operated de-icing unit, at Oslo Airport. This is the first trial of its kind in Europe, and the second globally, marking a significant step forward in ground handling sustainability, with initial tests indicating that using the electrically driven Vestergaard Elephant® e-BETA will reduce greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, by 87% per truck each year.

Menzies Aviation and Vestergaard Company’s partnership on this trial results from their long-standing relationship, with Menzies currently operating 11 Vestergaard rigs as part of their de-icing fleet at Oslo Airport, one of the world’s busiest de-icing hubs. Menzies Oslo’s expert team of over 40 de-icing specialists have provided de-icing services since 2016, dealing with complex, large-scale operations and performing more than 5,000 turns over a typical season between the months of September to May, making Menzies the ideal partner for the trial of this innovative equipment.

Vestergaard Company is a frontrunner when it comes to sustainability within ground handling and its goal is to offer a fully sustainable version of its product line for performing CO2 neutral ground handling operations by 2030. The electrically operated Vestergaard Elephant® e-BETA is a critical part of this journey, reducing environmental footprint by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This trial complements Menzies’ ‘Go Green’ project, established in Oslo in 2018, through which Menzies has made significant investment into reduced-emissions ground handling equipment to reduce its carbon footprint, with 90% of ramp equipment replaced with modern, electric units last year. Should the trial be successful and the Vestergaard Elephant® e-BETA rolled out, 97% of Menzies’ Oslo-based ground support equipment would be electric.

Thomas Hoff Andersson, Vice President Northern Europe, Menzies Aviation, said: “We’re proud to be working with Vestergaard Company to pioneer this sustainable ground handling solution, which builds on the progress achieved through our ‘Go Green’ project. The successful trial of this electrically-driven de-icer promises to bolster not only the sustainability of our de-icing operations at Oslo Airport, but the sustainability of the industry at large.”

René Laebel from Vestergaard Company, said: “For us, Menzies has been an obvious choice of partner in testing the new sustainable unit, as both a global company and a good and trusted customer of ours over the years. Menzies Oslo provides extensive de-icing services during the challenging weather season and is committed to building more sustainable ground handling operations, so we have a common interest in the success of the new unit.”

Ole Petter Storstad, Director of Airport Services for Avinor, Oslo Airport, said: “Avinor has a goal that its own operations at Oslo Airport will be fossil-free by 2030. We are therefore pleased that our partners are working in the same direction and have a green focus when they further develop their services.”