British Airways has outlined plans to overhaul its ground support equipment at Heathrow Airport, as part of its commitment to reducing emissions.
Investment will see the carrier replace vans, cars, cargo transporters and passenger steps with electric alternatives where available.
BA said that more than 90 per cent of its vehicles and ground equipment at Heathrow are either zero emissions electrical equipment when being used or driven, (hybrids) or are operating on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel.
The airline see the use of HVO as an interim measure while its transitions to zero-emission or hybrid equipment, and is investing in the following:
- The replacement of all diesel passenger aircraft steps with electric alternatives, with the aim of reducing CO2 emission by more than 370 tonnes per year
- The phasing out of its fleet of 20 diesel-powered cargo loading and unloading vehicles, replacing them with hybrid electric models
- The introduction of 135 new electric baggage tugs (accounting for 40 of the tug fleet), with improved battery and charging technology
- The phasing out of the carrier’s fleet of 38 diesel passenger buses over the next two years, with 23 expected to be fully electric and the remaining 15 operating on HVO fuel.
The improvements are part of BA’s £7 billion transformation programme, details of which were unveiled last week and which includes cabin and lounge upgrades.
Commenting on the news Carrie Harris, British Airways’ director of sustainability, said:
“I am incredibly proud of this project, which has been driven by our Heathrow ground operations teams and encapsulates our BA Better World ethos of raising awareness of our strategy to all of our colleagues, and inspiring them to play a part in minimising our environmental impact where possible.
“Their energy, enthusiasm and innovative approach in bringing the project to life shows what can be achieved and this investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to making improvements across our business that will benefit both our customers and colleagues.”
Earlier this month Gatwick airport announced it had switched its fleet of diesel vehicles to run on HVO, in a move which it says will save 950 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
Gatwick cuts Scope 1 vehicle emissions by 90 per cent through use of biofuels
