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Reducing taxiing times on arrival & departure

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The primary goal of this project is to reduce CO2 emissions generated during aircraft taxiing at the airport. Aircraft taxiing, which occurs between landing and reaching the gate, as well as between pushback and takeoff, contributes significantly to fuel consumption and emissions. By optimizing taxiing operations, this project aims to enhance efficiency while supporting environmental sustainability efforts.


As part of ADP’s strategic plan, Pioneers 2025, a target has been set to achieve a 7% reduction in CO2 emissions from taxiing by 2025. To meet this ambitious goal, the project is focused on three key areas: minimizing taxiing times upon arrival and departure and increasing the adoption of the Single Engine Taxi (SET) procedure by airlines.



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Objectives


To systematically reduce CO2 emissions during taxiing, the project has been divided into three core sub-tasks, each with a specific objective:


  • Decrease arrival taxi time: Optimize aircraft stand allocation procedures to minimize waiting times caused by occupied gates, leading to reduced engine idling and fuel burn.


  • Decrease departure taxi time: Improve the Pre-Departure Sequencer (PDS) tool to streamline the departure process, reducing congestion and overall taxi duration.


  • Increase Single Engine Taxi (SET) adoption: Promote the use of SET procedures, where aircraft taxi on one engine instead of two, significantly lowering fuel consumption. The initial step involves gathering data on current SET usage across airlines to identify improvement opportunities.


By implementing these measures, the project will contribute to a more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible airport operation, aligning with global efforts to lower aviation’s carbon footprint.

Partners involved



Progress


To achieve these objectives, each sub-task is progressed independently:


  1. Decrease arrival taxi time: A dashboard for monitoring arrival wait times is in development, using radar data to more accurately capture aircraft movement across the platform.


  2. Decrease departure taxi time: The specifications for the redesigned PDS tool were developed between Q3 2021 and Q2 2022, with ATRICS selected as the supplier in January 2023. Testing began in May 2024 and is set to continue through Q3 2025.


  3. Increase Single Engine Taxi (SET) procedure usage: Data collection and dashboard creation began in August 2024. Preliminary calculations of taxiing emissions using SET data from January to March 2024 have provided a foundational view of the potential environmental impact of broader SET adoption. The dashboard, updated periodically, compares SET usage with CO₂ emissions reductions, offering insights for airlines interested in adopting this practice. An external service provider has carried out a study of the effects of aircraft winds on the entire platform. It has identified trends (areas at risk or not). It will be supplemented by a new study to be carried out in 2025, which will enable the precise and exhaustive identification of the risk reduction measures to be implemented before the practice of N-1 taxiing can be promoted to airlines.



Key figures


  1. Waiting times at arrivals monitoring:

    -The radar tracks of 62,000 arrival flights were studied between 25 September and 31 December 2024 to determine their arrival times.

    -For 2025, it is estimated that the study will cover a total of around 235,000 flights.


  1. Several months of testing were performed on the new PDS tool.


  2. Single Engine Taxi :

    -Survey was sent to 23 airlines representing 82% of 2023 aircraft traffic.

    -Around 65% of the airline traffic of 2024 responded to the study





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