Description
Passenger boarding stairs, sometimes referred to as boarding ramps, stair car or aircraft steps, provide a mobile means to traverse between the aircraft doors and the ground. Because larger aircraft have door sills 5 to 20 feet high, stairs facilitate safe boarding and deplaning. Smaller units are generally moved by being towed or pushed, while larger units are self-powered. Most models have adjustable height to accommodate various aircraft. Optional features may include canopies, heating, supplementary lighting, and a red carpet for VIP passengers. Larger aircraft may use one or more jet bridges connected to the terminal building for passenger boarding, but ground-based stairs are used when this is unavailable or impractical.