A series of NASA airborne lidars have been used in support of satellite laser altimetry missions. These airborne laser altimeters have been deployed for satellite instrument development, for spaceborne data validation, and to bridge the data gap between satellite missions. We used data from ground-based GPS surveys of an 11,000 m long track near Summit Station, Greenland, to assess the surface elevation bias and measurement precision of three airborne laser altimeters, including the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), the Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS), and the Multiple Altimeter Beam Experimental Lidar (MABEL). Data from the monthly ground-based traverses, which commenced in 2006, allowed for the assessment of 8 airborne lidar surveys associated with ATM and LVIS. Surface elevation biases for these altimeters, over the flat, ice-sheet interior, are less than 0.12 m, while assessments of measurement precision are 0.09 m or better. Results from the analyses of ground-based and airborne data provide guidance for validation strategies for ICESat-2 elevation and elevation-change data products.