Sustainable taxiing entails aircraft being taken to and from the runway by a special aircraft tug called a Taxibot. This means that planes can taxi without using their engines. The result is less kerosene being used and therefore less CO₂, NOx and ultrafine particle emissions. Sustainable taxiing is an essential part of our goal to become an emission-free airport in 2030. Schiphol is working together with more local sector partners to achieve Sustainable Taxiing, including KLM, Corendon, dnata, LVNL, Swissport, Transavia, TUI Fly and Viggo.
We, the sustainable taxiing taskforce, realise aircraft ground movements where all avoidable emissions have been eliminated. In close collaboration with the aviation ecosystem, we meet our own sustainability ambitions and societal & political demands for the benefit of airlines and our local community – now and in the future.
Schiphol and a number of partners conducted a successful pilot study in 2020. During the pilot, aircraft were taken to and from the runways by the Taxibot. This special vehicle was designed by Smart Airport Systems, a sister company of the well-known supplier of ground handling equipment TLD. The vehicle – of which there are currently only ten in the world – is driven by a hybrid combination of electric and diesel engines. During taxiing, it uses 95% less fuel than aircraft engines.
The pilot delivered successful results, and so a roadmap to make sustainable taxiing standard procedure at Schiphol was made. As a first step, Schiphol acquired two new Taxibots. These will be used in a follow-up trial. The trial phase will then transition into a standard procedure, with certain types of aircraft taxiing sustainably to and from the Polderbaan Runway. Preparations to continue take up first small scale operations of Sustainable taxiing in 2024 already underway for this.
Schiphol is striving for sustainable taxiing at the airport in 2030, together with Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL), KLM, Transavia, Corendon Dutch Airlines, TUIfly and ground handling companies dnata, Swissport, Viggo, KLM Ground Services and TaxiBot provider Smart Airport Systems. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is supporting the initiative. The tests are part of European initiatives within the framework of the ALBATROSS-consortium and its successor: HERON. These subsidy projects aim to make aviation more sustainable.