A problem with CrowdStrike crippled Microsoft systems and grounded planes at airports around the world last week, but there’s good news hiding in airports, too. Luxavation subsidiary ExecuJet is making real progress decarbonizing ground transport .
Luxaviation Group is one of the largest business aircraft and helicopter operators worldwide headquartered in Luxembourg (which is sort of like being the biggest airline in Rhode Island, but still), has made the transition to fully electric ground handling equipment (GHE) at their ExecuJet fixed base operations (FBO) in Paris’ Le Bourget Airport. The transition makes it the first FBO with fully electric owned GHE in Europe.
“We are very happy to have achieved this milestone,” explainsPatrick Hansen, CEO of Luxaviation Group. “(It) contributes to our mission to provide outstanding and more sustainable business air travel experiences by fully electrifying [all] our FBOs by 2030.”
Electric GHE by TLD
Equipment provider TLD offers a full range of fully electric ground handling equipment to support airport operations without harmful tailpipe emissions. EVs like the WAT-900-E electric potable water trucks, TXL-838-reGen self-propelled, battery powered, dual-platform container loaders, and both battery-electric and hydrogen-powered baggage tractors and even aircraft tractors mean any airline/FBO willing to make the transition to ZEV is just a check or wire transfer away from making it happen.
“I’d like to extend a personal thank you to the team in ExecuJet Paris,” said Caroline Demsar, Deputy CEO of Luxaviation France. “(Thank you for) achieving this milestone and becoming our first fully electric European FBO.”
Electrek’s Take
With the short distances driven at limited speeds under extreme loads, GHE at airports present an ideal use case for electric vehicles. That’s good, because as demand for on-road fossil fuels drops, airports and airlines – historically responsible for about 4% Earth’s global warming – are comprising a bigger slice of a shrinking pie when it comes to fossil fuel emissions.
So, while Luxembourg may not be the US, China, or even Canada, it’s a start.
SOURCES | IMAGES: AIN Online, TLD.