Sustainable taxiing roadmap
By 2030, sustainable taxiing will be standard procedure at Schiphol. The airport recently presented a roadmap describing the steps that will be taken to reach this goal. The first step is the introduction of two towing vehicles at Schiphol mid-2022. If successful, this test phase will become a standard process and aircraft will be able to taxi sustainably to and from the Polderbaan Runway.
Lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions
Sustainable taxiing is when a special towing vehicle takes a plane to and from the runway. The aircraft engines therefore remain switched off for a much longer period of time. Previous research has shown that sustainable taxiing at Schiphol uses around 50% less fuel and leads to a reduction in CO2, nitrogen and (ultra)fine particle emissions. Because the Polderbaan is further away, fuel savings can reach up to 65% when taxiing to this runway.
Schiphol the world’s first airport to introduce sustainable taxiing on a large scale
The new taxiing process requires extensive adjustments to be made to infrastructure, processes and technology. Many of these required adjustments are new to aviation. Moreover, Schiphol is the first airport in the world to introduce sustainable taxiing on a large scale. The roadmap offers a step-by-step plan to implement these adjustments in a timely manner, based on the knowledge currently available.
Part of the Smart and Sustainable sector plan and the Sustainable Aviation Agreement
Schiphol drew up the roadmap together with Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL), KLM, Transavia, Corendon Dutch Airlines and ground handling agents dnata and KLM Ground Services. Sustainable taxiing is part of the Smart and Sustainable sector plan and the Sustainable Aviation Agreement that was made by the aviation sector and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. It’s also one of the ambitions of the Aviation Policy Memorandum (also from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management).
Read the previous blogs
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More electric equipment
Published on:Most diesel generators have now been replaced by electric ones. Schiphol provides almost all planes parked at the gate with electrical power.
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Start construction circular checkpoint
Published on:For the new checkpoint we are using material left over after the demolition of three office buildings and three cargo buildings at Schiphol.
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Highest ACI accreditation for sustainability
Published on:Industry association Airports Council International (ACI) has awarded three of our airports the highest possible level for sustainability.
