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

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.”