Originally Posted by
DCS99
Why do we even have towbars in the 21st Century?
Because a basic tug can be adapted to any aircraft with the use of a relatively cheap towbar, and the same tug can push a 15 ton turboprop one moment and switch over to a 200 ton widebody the next.
It's all about the cost of GSE.
Five conveyorbelts is a lot cheaper than five lower-deck loaders and a bunch of dollies. Bulkloading keeps cost down.