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Ground Support Equipment Finance

Spread the cost of ground support equipment from £15,000 to £400,000+ with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.

Can you finance a ground support equipment?

Yes, ground support equipments are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £15,000 to £400,000, and most deals are written over 12-84 months with a deposit of around 10-20%. Decisions typically take 24–72 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

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Typical Cost

£15k – £400k

Approval Speed

24–72 hours

Faster once airside accreditation is confirmed

Rates From

6.0% APR

What would a ground support equipment cost per month?

£90,000
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical ground support equipment price. Indicative only, not a quote.

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Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
From 6.5% APR
Term
12-84 months
Deposit
10-20%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
Ground handling contractors building an owned ramp fleet

Finance Lease

Rate
From 6.0% APR
Term
12-84 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Tax-efficient, claim 100% of payments against profit

Operating Lease

Rate
From 7.0% APR
Term
24-60 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return at end
Best for
Keep pace with airline and handling-agent specifications. Off balance sheet.

Representative example

On a purchase price of £90,000: a 10% deposit of £9,000, then 48 monthly payments of £1,899 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £100,152, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification Guide price Type
TLD TMX-150 Pushback Tractor £110,000 - £170,000 Diesel pushback tug (medium, up to c.150-tonne MTOW)
3-Tonne Belt Loader £45,000 - £75,000 Self-propelled belt loader (specification class)
90kVA Mobile Ground Power Unit £35,000 - £60,000 Ground power unit (specification class)
Wide-Body Passenger Steps £18,000 - £35,000 Adjustable passenger steps (specification class)

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Tax benefits

Ground support equipment qualifies for Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), letting you deduct the qualifying cost from taxable profits in the year of purchase, up to the current annual limit. HP allows capital allowances on the asset. Lease payments are fully deductible from profits.

Market context

Ground support equipment, tugs, belt loaders, ground power units, steps and de-icers, is bought mainly by ground handling contractors operating under contracts with airports and airlines, rather than by airports themselves. A new handling contract, or a shift onto a wider mix of aircraft types, is usually what triggers a fleet purchase, since a contractor needs to be equipped for whatever the contract requires from day one. What actually gates entry to this business is the contractor's airside operating permit and the accreditations that individual airlines and airports require of their handling agents, not simply owning the equipment, and lenders weigh an established, accredited contractor with a running handling contract very differently to a new entrant without one. Electrification of ramp fleets is an increasing driver of replacement as airports push handling agents toward zero-emission equipment. There is a reasonably active used market for tugs and steps as handling contracts change hands between operators.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I finance a full ground handling fleet in one agreement?
Yes. Most lenders will bundle tugs, ground power units, belt loaders and steps into a single agreement rather than financing each item separately. This is the usual approach when starting a new handling contract or renewing an existing one, since the whole fleet typically needs to be in place for the same go-live date. Bundling also simplifies admin, with one repayment schedule and one point of contact instead of several running in parallel.
Do I need airside accreditation before I can apply?
Not necessarily to get indicative terms, but lenders will want to see your airside operating permit and any airline or airport handling accreditation in place, or clearly on track, before completing a deal. It is the accreditation and handling contract that make the equipment usable and the business bankable, so an established, accredited contractor with a running contract will generally see faster approval and better rates than a new entrant applying without one.
What deposit do I need?
For hire purchase, most lenders ask for a 10-20% deposit on ground support equipment. Finance leases and operating leases often require no deposit at all, which helps when a fleet is being built out ahead of a new handling contract and cash is needed elsewhere. Putting down a larger deposit reduces the monthly payment and can also help a newer contractor demonstrate commitment to a lender it has not worked with before.
Can I finance used or refurbished ground support equipment?
Yes. Most lenders will finance used tugs, steps and ground power units, typically up to five to seven years old depending on the asset and its service history. Equipment bought from established GSE dealers, or coming off a handling contractor's fleet renewal, tends to get the most competitive terms, since a documented maintenance history gives the lender more confidence in the asset's residual value.
How quickly can I get ground support equipment finance?
Most straightforward applications are approved within 24-72 hours. Larger fleet deals, or applications from contractors still finalising airside accreditation, can take longer while the lender confirms the handling contract and accreditation are in place. Existing customers with an established handling contract and a track record of asset ownership are usually the fastest to approve, sometimes within a single working day.

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