From Autonomous Mobility to Smarter Runways: Four OLGA Innovations in Action
- Aug 13
- 4 min read
How can airports reduce their environmental impact while improving safety, efficiency and the passenger experience?
Through the EU-funded hOListic & Green Airports (OLGA) project, airports, researchers, public authorities and industry partners are working together to develop and demonstrate practical solutions for greener aviation.
OLGA treats airports as living laboratories where new technologies can be tested under real operational conditions. Paris–Charles de Gaulle serves as the project’s lighthouse airport, while Milan Malpensa, Zagreb and Cluj-Napoca help demonstrate how its solutions can be adapted and replicated across Europe.
Our new video series presents four examples of this work—from autonomous electric transport and waste-derived fuel to intelligent lighting and drone-based runway inspections. Each video explores the challenge, the solution tested through OLGA and its potential impact.
1. Autonomous electric mobility at Cluj Airport
The problem
Airports are highly complex and dynamic environments. Vehicles, passengers and airport equipment are constantly moving through areas governed by strict safety and operational requirements.
Introducing autonomous transport in this setting requires technology that can navigate reliably, identify hazards and respond safely to changing conditions.
The OLGA solution
Within the OLGA project, a driverless electric bus was tested under real conditions at Cluj Avram Iancu International Airport.
The vehicle uses sensors and artificial intelligence to navigate along predefined routes, detect obstacles and respond to its surroundings. Its successful demonstration showed how autonomous mobility could be integrated into a demanding airport environment.
The impact
With Level 4 autonomy and a range of up to 300 kilometres, the electric bus demonstrates the potential to make airport and airport–city transport cleaner, smarter and more efficient.
The pilot also contributes to OLGA’s wider work on sustainable landside connectivity, which includes electric buses, autonomous vehicles and improved multimodal transport. By testing the technology at Cluj Airport, the project is gathering practical knowledge that could support similar applications at other airports and transport hubs.
▶️ Watch the autonomous electric bus video:
2. Turning organic waste into biomethane
The problem
Cities, airports and their surrounding communities generate considerable amounts of food and organic waste. Managing this waste can be costly and environmentally challenging.
At the same time, much of the transport sector remains dependent on fossil fuels sourced from outside local communities.
The OLGA solution
OLGA is demonstrating a circular approach in Cluj-Napoca: organic waste is collected and converted into biomethane, which can then be used as fuel for buses.
Instead of treating organic waste only as something to dispose of, the solution transforms it into a locally produced energy resource.
The impact
The demonstration has the potential to generate enough fuel for approximately 100 kilometres of bus operation.
Producing fuel locally can reduce dependence on external energy sources, support cleaner mobility and give organic waste a valuable second life. It connects waste management, renewable energy and public transport within a single circular system.
The concept is also designed with replication in mind. Similar small-scale plants could be adapted to the needs and available waste streams of other cities and airport communities.
▶️ Watch the waste-to-biomethane video:
3. Intelligent lighting at Cluj Airport
The problem
Cluj Airport’s previous fluorescent lighting system consumed a considerable amount of electricity and created high operating costs. It also offered limited visual comfort, with illumination of around 130 lux, glare issues and more luminaires than the space required.
Conventional lighting systems can continue operating at full capacity even when natural daylight is available or when areas are unoccupied.
The OLGA solution
As part of OLGA’s work on energy-smart airport infrastructure, Cluj Airport introduced an intelligent and adaptable lighting solution.
The system includes:
Dimming between 5% and 100%
Presence detection
Day and night sensors
An integrated control system
Connection to the airport’s BACnet building-management system
These features allow the lighting to respond to occupancy, daylight and actual operational needs.
The impact
The installed lighting power was reduced from 155 kW to 58 kW. This represents an energy reduction of approximately 68% and an estimated saving of 54 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
In addition to lowering energy consumption and emissions, intelligent lighting can improve visual comfort, reduce unnecessary operation and give airport teams greater control over their buildings.
The demonstration shows that sustainability improvements do not always require entirely new infrastructure. Upgrading existing systems with efficient technology and intelligent controls can also deliver significant benefits.
▶️ Watch the intelligent lighting video:
4. Drone-based runway inspection at Zagreb Airport
The problem
Runway inspections are essential for airport safety, but conventional inspection methods can be time-consuming and labour-intensive. They may also require access to operational areas, creating potential disruption to airport activities.
When maintenance is based mainly on routine schedules, resources may not always be directed towards the areas with the greatest actual risk.
The OLGA solution
At Zagreb Airport, OLGA tested an advanced runway inspection and condition-assessment approach using unmanned aerial vehicles, digital tools and AI-supported analysis.
Drones can collect detailed information about runway surfaces and help identify possible defects or damage. This data provides airport teams with a clearer understanding of infrastructure conditions and supports more informed maintenance decisions.
The demonstration also examined the procedures and operational workflows needed to integrate UAV inspections safely into an active airport environment.
The impact
Data-driven inspections can support a shift from reactive or routine maintenance towards risk-based, predictive planning.
Potential benefits include:
More accurate detection of runway defects
Shorter inspection times
Lower inspection and maintenance costs
Less disruption to airport operations
Reduced environmental impact
Improved infrastructure safety
Maintenance teams can use the collected data to prioritise the areas of greatest need, act earlier and allocate resources more efficiently.
▶️ Watch the drone-based runway inspection video:
