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Delhi Airport has logged 1,000 TaxiBot movements since their deployment about two years ago, which has helped airlines save 2.14 lakh litres of jet fuel besides reducing around 532 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions, the private airport operator said on Thursday. Taxibot is a semi-robotic aircraft undercarriage system that can tow an aircraft from a terminal gate to the take-off point and return it to the gate after landing. It aids in reducing fuel cost, improves apron usage, and reduces harmful gases.

Delhi Airport is the only airport in the world to adopt this green taxiing solution in May 2019, as a part of Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) strategic initiatives to reduce carbon emissions by planes, and also to become a ”net-zero carbon emission airport” by 2030, DIAL said in a release.

At present, two TaxiBots are operational, with three airlines, with overall 15 such equipment expected to be operational over a period of four years, it said.

”Delhi Airport has completed 1,000 movements of sustainable taxing of aircraft with TaxiBot, and thus helped the airport in significantly reducing carbon emission and saving fuel. ”The use of TaxiBot’s have helped in reducing around 532 tonnes of Carbon as well as in saving around 214,000 litres of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which was supposed to be burned by the aircraft during taxiing, DIAL said.

”This is a major milestone not only for DIAL but also for the aviation sector globally, in terms of promoting and adopting alternative and green taxiing solutions,” said Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, Chief Executive Officer at DIAL.

The use of TaxiBot has also helped in significantly reducing the risk of foreign object debris (FOD) damage to the aircraft during its ground movement and taxiing noise at the airport, DIAL said, adding, it is resourceful to ATC as the equipment offers a faster apron clearance and assist airlines in reducing turnaround time for its ground operations.

PRESS RELEASE FROM ROYAL SCHIPHOL GROUP

Royal Schiphol Group wants to create the world’s most sustainable airports. To get there, one of our goals is an emission-free Schiphol in 2030. We are working hard to fulfil our ambition. This includes making our ground operation more sustainable and we expect sustainable taxiing to contribute to this.

Aircraft currently taxi to the runway using their engines. In doing so, they produce CO2, NOx and ultrafine particle emissions. During sustainable taxiing, planes do not use their engines to get

to and from the runway, instead they use an alternative power source such as the TaxiBot. This saves kerosene and therefore leads to lower emissions. Sustainable taxiing can therefore contribute to reducing CO2 and nitrogen.

Schiphol and its partners have carried out a Taxi- Bot pilot and a feasibility study into sustainable taxiing at the airport.

What did we investigate?

We looked at whether implementing fully sustai- nable taxiing at Schiphol airport would be possible. The primary focus was on the effects of sustainable taxiing on safety, capacity, efficiency at the airport and the environmental benefits. The study compri- sed an operational pilot carried out at Schiphol last year, a simulation of an airport operation based on sustainable taxiing and consultations with operatio- nal experts.

Who did we conduct the research with?

Schiphol collaborated with Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL), KLM, Transavia, Coren- don Dutch Airlines and ground handling compa- nies dnata and KLM Ground Services. The rese- arch is part of the Smart and Sustainable action plan and the government’s plan for sustainable aviation (Klimaattafel Duurzame Luchtvaart).

What were the most significant findings?

The results revealed that sustainable taxiing uses at least 50% less fuel than standard taxiing and therefore significantly lowers emissions, both CO2 and noise emissions. Some substantial adjustments to infrastructure, processes and technology will need to be made if sustainable taxiing is to become standard procedure at Schiphol by 2030.

What are the adjustments that need to be made to infrastructure?

In order to implement sustainable taxiing as standard procedure at Schiphol by 2030, a num- ber of changes will need to be made, including to infrastructure. This will involve modifying the platform and taxiways so that a unique semi-ro- botic aircraft towing vehicle can be decoupled from the aircraft safely and efficiently. The taxiways will also have to be adjusted so that the TaxiBot can move everywhere, and so will the aircraft stand so that the TaxiBot can safely park the plane at the gate.

What are the adjustments that need to be made to processes?

Many different airport partners are involved
in sustainable taxiing. The handling agent is responsible for operating the TaxiBot before it has been attached to an airplane, the pilot is responsible for operating the TaxiBot while it is attached to the airplane and LVNL is responsible for the successful management of ground traffic.

The roles of the parties involved are constantly changing, which makes the implementation
of sustainable taxiing as standard procedure
a complex process. It also means more traffic movements because a TaxiBot has to drive to and from the runways. New working arrange- ments, protocols and guidelines are required to manage this effectively.

We will also have to ensure that ground hand- ling company staff are trained to operate the TaxiBot, and pilots will have to receive extra computer training (even those working for foreign airlines who do not often come to Schiphol).

What are the adjustments that need to be made to technology?

The TaxiBot is a unique Smart Airport Systems vehicle; there are only a small number of them in the world. This means that the TaxiBot also still needs to be developed further.

The TaxiBot is certified for the most common narrow-body types of aircraft (Boeing 737 and Airbus A320), which together account for 54 percent of air traffic to and from Schiphol. It is not yet ready and certified for other types of aircraft. A widebody version is due in 2023.

Although the TaxiBot is today not fully emission free as it is powered by diesel-electric driveline, it does represent a substantial reduction of the carbon footprint of airport operations on its own. Smart Airport Systems is currently designing a full electrical unit, including technical improvements to make the TaxiBot more reliable.

Why can sustainable taxiing only be implemented on a large scale in 2030?

Almost all aircraft will need to be towed when sustainable taxiing is a standard procedure. Sig- nificant adjustments to infrastructure, processes and technology are therefore required (and at a complex location). The aviation sector has high safety standards; the certification of technolo- gies and approval of processes are extremely important and carried out carefully.

Because many of the necessary adjustments are new to aviation, and because Schiphol is the first airport in Europe that wants to introduce sus- tainable taxiing on a large scale, a lot of time is required to develop the technology and to have it certified and approved.

On a smaller scale, sustainable taxiing can contribute to the reduction of emissions at the locations it will have the biggest impact within just a few years. This could be at the Polderbaan Runway, for example. It has the longest taxi time and, together with the Kaagbaan Runway, is deployed most frequently.

What are other airports doing?

There are currently only a small number of TaxiBots in the world. The TaxiBot has grabbed the attention of many large airports and it appears to be a question of time before it is tested and implemented at other airports too.

Some TaxiBots are being deployed in the operation in India since a few years – in Delhi and in Bangalore. We are keenly following those developments, especially those in Delhi seeing as the airport is comparable to Schiphol in terms of size, activity and complexity.

What are the next steps?

We and the airport partners are going to iden- tify the necessary adjustments and solutions in a roadmap to establish sustainable taxiing as standard procedure at Schiphol by 2030. This roadmap will be ready in the spring of 2021.

We will also start a follow-up pilot – part of a Eu- ropean programme that will see several Taxibots coming to Schiphol – no later than at the start of 2022. The preparations for that are underway.

Further news on TaxiBot & Schiphol Sustainable Taxiing is available here – https://news.schiphol.com/sustainable-taxiing-uses-half-the-fuel-of-standard-taxi-process/

The Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) has announced on March 2nd that for the first time in Japan, Autonomous baggage tractors for real operations at Narita will be introduced. JAL will used this vehicle following a POC led in cooperation with Narita International Airport (NAA), airport authority that operates Narita.

This initiative is to address the concerning issue of lack of manpower due to growing demand in air transportation.The introduction will take place on a vehicle road between the Narita Terminal 2 and the baggage sorting satellite.

The transportation of luggage will be performed with the autonomous vehicle, TractEasy manufactured by TLD and offered by Smart Airport Systems. A safety driver will remain seated inside the vehicle for this level 3 operations.

The Terminal 2 satellite is currently closed due to the current reduced traffic. However, the actual operations are planned to start once the satellite will reopen. The Japanese Ministry of Transport has set a committee to promote the introduction of autonomous vehicle inside airports and publicly offered companies to participate to a POC. JAL has applied for this program and carried out from Oct 2019 to March 2020 this test with this autonomous vehicle.

With this introduction to real operations, towing tractors will be able to drive autonomously and transport cargo. The Japanese Ministry of Transport is also carrying some POC regarding the transportation of people and is planning to introduce of real passengers in the near future. This year on February, ANA has made some test at Haneda with autonomous large bus destined to transport employees.

The Japanese Ministry of Transport will continue to collaborate with airport authorities and airlines in order to achieve full driverless level 4 by the year 2025.

ALBATROSS is an initiative of major European aviation stakeholders who wish to demonstrate how the technical and operational innovations delivered by SESAR, (the mechanism which coordinates and concentrates all EU research and development), can further reduce the environmental footprint of aviation towards a more sustainable mode of transportation.

The project will examine how a resulting and adapted concept of operation could be permanently integrated into network operations to demonstrate the potential to minimise the environmental impact of aviation.

Smart Airport Systems is proud to have been asked to contribute to this important aviation and environmental program alongside these prominant stakeholders and wishes it every success.

Further updates to follow, but for now you can read more here –https://www.sesarju.eu/…/albatross-most-energy…

Check out the latest video from Solar Impulse Foundation showcasing our remarkable TaxiBot hybrid taxiing solution.

Our thanks and appreciation for the continued support to Air France, SOLAR IMPULSE and of course the Royal Schiphol Group.

Click the image below to be taken to our LinkedIn site, and view the video.

***PRESS RELEASE***

Schiphol has started a trial with an autonomous baggage tractor that will take baggage to the aircraft on the apron. The aim of the trial is to discover whether this technology is safe and efficient and how self-driving vehicles can be integrated with other traffic at the airport. The trial, which will last until the end of the month, is being carried out in collaboration with KLM Ground Services and Smart Airport Systems. 

The trial will start in a defined area in which the baggage process is simulated. In the second phase, the trial will be continued in an operational environment to bring baggage to the aircraft. The self-driving vehicle will be loaded in the baggage area, after which it will navigate to an aircraft stand via a fixed route. During all the trials with the baggage tractor, there will be a safety operator in the autonomous vehicle to stop the vehicle if necessary. The self-driving vehicle was made by ground-handling equipment supplier TLD, with EasyMile supplying the autonomous software. 

Autonomous Airside Operations  

Royal Schiphol Group anticipates that by 2050, the daily operations on the apron at the airports will have changed significantly. The ground-based airport activities (e.g. baggage transport, passenger transport and aircraft towing) will not only be clean, but also smart and autonomous. The aim is ultimately to replace all vehicles on airside with an interconnected fleet of self-driving, emission-free vehicles, in order to guarantee and improve quality in the long term. 

Airlines, airports and their air transport sector partners continue to plot the industry’s recovery – making it vital to combat uncertainty and take steps to prepare for the new reality.

This series of virtual roundtable sessions and mutually matched one-to-one meetings ensure that interactions between primary decision makers of top and emerging companies are intimate and insightful.

Smart Airport Systems is pleased to announce its involvement at this important industry seminar and would like to extend an invitation to join us.

Register here to be part of the recovery solution – http://smartairportseries.edxevents.com

The ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organization are presenting their Stocktaking Seminar on aviation in-sector CO2 emissions reductions, and will be held virtually from 8th-11th September 2020.

The 2020 ICAO Stocktaking Seminar will consider innovative solutions to unlock current and future CO2 aviation emissions reduction potentials. It will cover three areas for in-sector reductions:
Technology
Operations
Sustainable Aviation Fuels 

Additionally, it will expand the scope of the stocktaking process by covering in-sector emissions reduction opportunities from aircraft technology improvements, innovations and operational improvements.

Smart Airport Systems will be contributing to the seminar with a presentation on our sustainable aviation solutions designed to reduce noise and air pollution whilst increasing operational efficiencies.

Monday 15th July saw ‘TractEasy’ win the IFOY ‘AGV & Intralogistics Robot’ award. 

The mission of the IFOY AWARD is to identify and recognise the year’s best intralogistic equipment and intralogistics solutions.

‘TractEasy’, a collaboration between TLD / Smart Airport Systems / EasyMile, is a driverless tow-tractor that not only facilitates a significant increase in productivity, efficiency, labour and maintenance savings but also allows enhanced safety and process compliances.

The TractEasy® mission is to move cargo in an autonomous manner, under the supervision of dedicated fleet manager software, from terminal to terminal, or terminal to aircraft.

Well done to all those involved in this latest victory for electric GSE and the airport environment – a true win/win!

Today Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Smart Airport Systems announce it’s trial for sustainable taxiing at Schiphol airport in cooperation with the partners Air Traffic Control Netherlands (LVNL), the Ministry of I&W, Corendon Dutch Airlines, KLM, Transavia, EasyJet and handlers Dnata and KLM Ground Services.

The technology behind this trial, the TaxiBot, is provided by Smart Airport Systems (SAS), a sister company to the prominent designer and manufacturer of airport ground support equipment TLD and IAI (Israël Aerospace Industry).

The SAS mission is to provide innovative sustainable solutions for airlines and airports to help them reduce CO2 and NOx emissions, generate fuel savings, and increase the operational efficiencies at airports. For this SAS has developed several solutions that are
available today and bring significant emission reduction.

Maxime Mahieu, CEO of Smart Airport Systems commented: “We are extremely pleased with this test of sustainable taxiing in cooperation with one of the world’s most innovative airports. We are impressed by Schiphol’s motivation which reflects in quality of the partnership they have created. All key stakeholders are aligned to show that SAS existing solutions can bring significant environmental improvements today”.

Hassan Charaf, Head of Innovation at the Royal Schiphol Group, commented:
“This study fits with our ambition to be the most sustainable airport in the world. I am proud that together with our partners we are exploring what sustainable taxiing at Schiphol can mean”.

The TaxiBot trial is part of an on-going feasibility study on sustainable taxiing at Schiphol Airport. Additional criteria will include how sustainable taxiing can be incorporated into daily operations, whether it can be achieved extensively across the airport and implementation timescales.

The ’TaxiBot’ is a semi-robotic tow vehicle developed by TLD and IAI, fully controlled by the Aircraft pilot when it tows the aircraft from terminal to runway, and back, without the use of the aircrafts engines. 

The hybrid TaxiBot is powered by a combination of electric and diesel engines that allow it to consume 95% less fuel during taxiing than the more commonly used aircraft engines. The TaxiBot is already in operation in India in both Delhi and Bangalore airports.

At Schiphol Airport aircraft engines are used on average 14 minutes to taxi departing aircraft and 9 minutes for arriving aircraft.

As aircraft engines still require spooling to their optimum operating temperature prior to take off, the saving brought by the TaxiBot are estimated to be between 50% and 85% of the average fuel consumption normally associated with the taxiing mission.

There are also a number additional benefits including – a reduction in noise pollution, CO2 and NOx emissions and foreign object debris whilst also delivering huge environmental advantages.

TaxiBot is also recognized, since February 2020, as an official partner of the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution program, a certification that applies to products, processes and services which combine economic profitability and environmental sustainability.

The trial is set to run until the end of June after which the study will conclude in Autumn 2020.

Watch the video here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCq3ktgPc1U