Schiphol to use tow vehicle to make taxiing aircraft more sustainable

Schiphol and other aviation sector businesses presented a step-by-step plan to make the process of taxiing aircraft more sustainable. The project should help to significantly reduce fuel consumption at the airport and the associated carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and particulate emissions while the aircraft are driving along the ground. The parties presented the proposal on Monday to Barbara Visser, the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management.

The idea is to bring aircraft to and from the runway with a special tow vehicle, used previously during a trial period. Under the new method, pilots can power the airplane's engines down almost entirely. According to Schiphol, radical adjustments to infrastructure, processes, and technology are required for this new taxi process.

A follow-up test will begin halfway through next year using two of the new tow vehicles. If the pilot phase is successful, the more sustainable method can be used to bring aircraft to and from the Polderbaan. The westernmost runway is about five kilometers away from the passenger terminal. Ultimately, sustainable taxiing could become the standard procedure at the entire airport by 2030 at the latest.

Schiphol also responded on Monday to the new climate report from the Dutch meteorological institute, KNMI. It again emphasized the urgency to make Schiphol more sustainable, the airport said. "We have ambitious goals and have already taken steps towards them. It is important that we continue working together in the coming years."