Air India to launch TaxiBot operations at Delhi, Bengaluru airports to reduce carbon footprint

A semi-robotic equipment, the TaxiBot, once attached to the aircraft, acts as an extension of the aircraft’s nose landing gear.

Air India has signed an agreement with KSU Aviation to launch TaxiBot operations at Delhi and Bengaluru airports for its Airbus A320 family of aircraft.

The strategic partnership is aimed at reducing Air India’s carbon footprint, as the adoption of TaxiBots envisages a potential saving of 15,000 tonnes in fuel consumption over three years, the airline said in a release.

A piece of semi-robotic equipment, the TaxiBot, once attached to the aircraft, acts as an extension of the aircraft’s nose landing gear. It is used to tow aircraft from the airport terminal gate to the taxi-out point and to tow aircraft from the terminal gate after landing (taxi-in phase) without utilising the aircraft’s engines, thus saving jet fuel. The technology helps curb fuel consumption, carbon emissions, and noise levels, while also reducing the costs incurred by airlines.

Commenting on the tie-up, Dr Ashwani Khanna, Director, KSU Aviation Pvt Ltd, said, “We are excited about the formal induction of TaxiBot as part of Air India’s focussed approach to address its carbon footprint.”

In October 2019, in a global first, Air India used a TaxiBot on an Airbus A320 aircraft operating a commercial flight with passengers on board.

Elaborating on the adoption of TaxiBot, Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD of Air India, said, “Air India is constantly looking for ways to improve sustainability and manage our carbon footprint. The deployment of TaxiBots is an example of our commitment to reducing emissions and fuel consumption. This collaboration will allow us to better assess the capabilities of TaxiBots, and potentially lead to greater deployment across Air India’s subsidiaries and other airports.”

Last year, the Air India group entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Indian Institute of Petroleum to collaborate on the research, development, and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).