The pushback procedure is being modified so that aircraft are pushed to a position where the engines are started later and further away. Also, their exhaust is no longer directed towards the apron.
Before departure, an aircraft is first pushed from the aircraft stand to a specific point within the bay. We call this the decoupling point. Previously, ultrafine particles were not taken into account when determining the aircraft's position during this procedure. In the new procedure, we do. The aircraft is towed to the decoupling point and only then starts its engines. The aircraft's orientation is also adjusted so that the engines are no longer aimed at the employees on the apron.
In 2025, a trial period took place with the modified pushback procedure in Bay D. This trial showed a 19% reduction in ultrafine particles. The modification of the pushback procedure is being tested and implemented, bay by bay.