Delhi's IGI world's first airport to register 1,000 TaxiBot movements

The national capital's IGI airport on Thursday said it has completed 1,000 movements of sustainable taxing of aircraft with 'TaxiBot'.

In aviation parlance, a 'TaxiBot' is a semi-robotic towbarless aircraft movement equipment developed by the Israel Aerospace Industries.

The 800-hp hybrid-electric engine, controlled by the pilot from the cockpit using the regular pilot controls, can move an aircraft from the terminal gate to the take-off point (taxi-out phase) and return it to the gate after landing (taxi-in phase).

According to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a GMR Group-led consortium which manages and operates the IGIA, 'TaxiBot' have helped in reducing around 532 tonnes of carbon.

It has also helped airlines in saving around 214,000 litres of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which is supposed to be burned by the aircraft during taxiing.

Besides, TaxiBots aided the Delhi Airport in significantly in reducing the risk of foreign object debris (FOD) damage to the aircraft during its ground movement and taxiing noise at the airport.

"It is resourceful to ATC as TaxiBots offer faster apron clearance and assist airlines in reducing turnaround time for its ground operations," DIAL said in a statement.

"Delhi Airport is the only airport in the world to adopt this green taxiing solution in May 2019. Adoption of TaxiBot at Delhi Airport was DIAL's one of the strategic initiatives to reduce on carbon emissions by planes, as part of DIAL's objective of becoming a "net zero carbon emission airport" by 2030."