TaxiBots at Delhi, Bengaluru airports to help Air India save over 15,000 tonnes of jet fuel

Air India on Thursday (April 13) signed an agreement with KSU Aviation to launch ‘TaxiBot’ operations at Delhi and Bengaluru airports for its Airbus A320 family of aircraft, seeking to save nearly 15,000 tonnes of jet fuel over three years.

A ‘TaxiBot’ is a semi-robotic equipment, which 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.

According to the airline, this strategic partnership is aligned with its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint, as the adoption of ‘TaxiBots’ envisages a potential saving of 15,000 tonnes in fuel consumption over three years.

“This collaboration with KSU will allow us to better assess the capabilities of ‘TaxiBots’, and potentially lead to greater deployment across Air India’s subsidiaries and other airports,” said Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, Air India.

Last year, the Air India group entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 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).

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

-B