Taxiing Along the Runway on Electricity Saves Airlines Money, Cuts Emissions

When airplanes taxi along runways they burn a significant amount of fuel – the world’s short-haul aircraft consume 5 million tons of fuel a year during taxi operations, according to industry analysis.

A new electric-powered system will significantly improve airline operational efficiency and provide environmental benefits by slashing carbon and other emissions created when airplanes taxi along runways.

Under the system, airplanes will move along runways using an Auxiliary Power Unit generator which powers electrical motors in the aircraft’s main wheels. They’ll be able to run without using their main engines. 

Honeywell (NYSE:HON) and French aerospace leader Safran (SAF.PA) are forming a joint venture to make the innovative electric green taxiing system for new and existing aircraft. They say the system will reduce fuel consumption up to 4%.

They expect it to be installed on new aircraft and retrofitted onto existing planes beginning in 2016.

The companies say aircraft equipped with the electric taxiing system will be able to "pushback and go" more quickly thus reducing gate and tarmac congestion, improving on time departure performance and saving valuable time on the ground.

It will also eliminate the need for tugging and associated equipment costs, and it reduces both brake wear and carbon emissions taxes.

These costs are especially problematic for airlines with high percentages of short-haul operations because ground taxiing is a greater percentage of total aircraft use. Profit margins for short-haul aircraft are more sensitive to these expenses.

"By using the new electric green taxiing system to provide the power needed for ground-level maneuvering, Honeywell and Safran can save our airline customers several hundred thousand dollars per aircraft per year," says Tim Mahoney, president and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace.