Celebi Aviation to start Taxibots at airports with Euro 45 mn investment

TaxiBots help cut fuel consumption by 85% by towing narrow-bodied aircraft from terminal gate to take-off point, with the planes' engines turned off; they also reduce Foreign Object Damage by 50%

Celebi Aviation plans to introduce Taxibots across Indian airports at an investment of about Euro 45 Million. The company, which recently deployed its offerings at Delhi International Airport, plans to introduce the technology at other key airports in the country. TaxiBots are used to tow narrow-bodied aircraft from the terminal gate to the take-off point, with the planes' engines turned off. The firm works in consortium with KSU Aviation, which has signed an exclusive sales deal with Israel Aerospace Industries.

Celebi Aviation today announced its plans of introducing advanced taxiing solution – ‘Taxibots’, at key airports across the country. The semi-robotic Taxibots have been specially designed to ensure operational efficiency, in addition to reducing environmental damage, said the company.

Celebi has entered into a partnership with KSU Aviation, which signed an exclusive sales agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries & TLD to deploy these units across the country.   

The pilot-controlled semi-automatic Taxibots are designed to significantly reduce fuel consumption by 85 per cent and Foreign Object Damage (FOD) by 50 per cent, thereby ensuring safety and lesser congestion at the airports. Use of Taxibots will also bring down the emission of carbon dioxide and other noxious gases by 85 per cent, and check noise pollution at airports by 60 per cent, claims the company.

Celebi Aviation recently signed an agreement with Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), to provide commercially operational Taxibots for the next seven years. Each of these units cost up to Euro 1.5 million. 

The company has invested around Euro 6.5 million into this business (in consortium with KSU Aviation). The two Taxibots currently used at Delhi airport are responsible for towing narrow-bodied aircrafts from the terminal gate to the take-off point, with the aircrafts’ engines turned off. The company will bring in three more Taxibots units shortly, as a part of its agreement with DIAL. Delhi Airport is the first to initiate the deployment of Taxibots globally, said Murali Ramachandran, CEO-India, Çelebi Aviation.

Çelebi is currently engaged in ground handling at various Indian airports including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Ahmedabad and Kannur, and plans to expand operations to other airports. 

In addition to ground handling services, the firm also started providing cargo and warehouse services in 2009 with establishment of Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd. The joint venture between DIAL and Çelebi Ground Handling Turkey, Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India, is today the largest cargo terminal by volume in the country. Apart from ground handling and warehousing, Çelebi has invested substantially in green airport solutions like the Bridge Mounted Equipment at Mumbai & Delhi airports and very recently in the Taxibot (Semi-robotic aircraft taxi solution) project in India.