For the first time a passenger aircraft – a Boeing 737 owned by KLM – was brought to the Polderbaan Runway by a Taxibot. Normally, an aircraft drives to the runway with its engines running. Thanks to the Taxibot, the engines can remain off until take-off. This means the aircraft uses less kerosene, thereby emitting less CO₂, NOx and fine and ultrafine particles while taxiing to the runway. This contributes to improving air quality and climate and reducing noise on the platform.
At first sight, the Taxibot looks like a standard towing vehicle. But the difference is that the Taxibot, while taxiing, is controlled by the pilot of the aircraft instead of by the towing vehicle driver. The latter only takes care of the connection and the pushback from the gate, and returns the Taxibot from the runway to the gate for a new mission. At the runway, the Taxibot disconnects and the pilot starts the engines of the aircraft for take-off. The Taxibot is currently still powered by an engine which is partly electric and partly fossil. But the aim is to introduce completely zero-emission Taxibots taxiing aircrafts to and from the runway in the future.
The introduction of Taxibot in operations is the result of a unique collaboration between Schiphol and KLM, LVNL, Transavia, TUI, Swissport, EasyJet and handlers Menzies, VIGGO, dnata and KLM Ground Services. The project will initially focus on the narrowbody fleet: first the Boeing 737, later also the A321neo and the Embraer.
In the years ahead, we want to expand the use of Taxibot for taxiing at Schiphol. To make this happen, major and far-reaching changes to our infrastructure, processes and technology will be necessary. It’s also important to run tests to determine how we can incorporate the Taxibot in our daily operations. Furthermore, all pilots will need to take a training course in controlling the Taxibot. The ambition is to train all B737 pilots at KLM and Transavia by the second quarter of 2025. We’re not there yet, but this passenger aircraft brought to the runway by a Taxibot does constitute a new step in implementing more sustainable taxiing in our daily operations.