Electric Taxi Systems Aim To Save Airlines Fuel, Money Getting To the Runway

Efforts to reduce the thousands of gallons of jet fuel now being burned each year just to move aircraft to and from runways are very much in evidence at the 2012 Farnborough International airshow. No fewer than four new products vying for the attention of airline and airport managements, including efforts by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), L-3, Safran/Honeywell and WheelTug, and they each have taken a different approach.

L-3, WheelTug and the joint venture between Safran and Honeywell have both taken a novel approach of installing motors directly on landing gear to allow aircraft to taxi autonomously using power from the auxiliary power unit (APU). By contrast, IAI’s TaxiBot system involves a semi-robotic tow tug that is controlled from the cockpit by pilots.