General Tire to supply 4×4 tyres to Guernsey Airport operations vehicles

St Martins Tyre Company in Guernsey is now supplying the island’s airport with General Tire’s Grabber GT tyres for its operations vehicles. The airport was supplied previously with tyres from a well-known American 4×4 brand. General 4×4, car and van tyres are distributed in the UK by Micheldever Tyre Services.

The airport uses Ford Ranger pick-up trucks to patrol the runway to ensure it is clear of any FOD (foreign object debris) ready for aircraft arrivals and departures. Another important role for these off-road vehicles is for the control of pests, specifically in the dispersal of birds that are hazardous and could be ingested into the engines of aircraft. It is crucial the airport has vehicles that can operate throughout the year and in all-weather conditions.

The change to the Grabber GT is inspired by the airport’s demand for a tyre that wouldn’t deposit mud or other foreign debris onto the runway and taxiways, General states. The Grabber GT was selected for its ability to provide balanced grip and performance power for the Ford Ranger 3.2lt pick-up trucks.

Airport operations supervisor, Bob Twist has said: “We had previously fitted a well-known all-terrain tyre to our Operations Vehicles, but unfortunately the tread pattern was too deep and was causing issues with FOD.

“After speaking to the staff at St. Martins Tyre Company, they recommended the Grabber GT tyres. We have found these tyres to be exceptional in performance and grip, eliminating the FOD issues on the runways and taxiways. We have just had extreme weather conditions, including snow and ice, and again these tyres exceeded our expectations.”