Why British Airways Is Investing Millions Of Dollars To Overhaul Ground Equipement At London Heathrow

British Airways has announced that it aims to spend millions of dollars on overhauling all its ground equipment at its main hub at London Heathrow as part of its initiative to reduce the airline’s carbon footprint, as the carrier is working towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. While this is a significant investment, it is a continuation of an ongoing overhaul campaign, with the carrier aiming to be as green as possible in the air and on the ground.

Continuous investments

Earlier this week, the British flag carrier announced a variety of new initiatives to achieve its net-zero carbon emission goal by 2050. As part of the $8.8 billion (£7 billion) investment plan over the course of the next three years, British Airways will be spending millions to overhaul its remaining ground equipment at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), which still operates using conventional fuel.

90% of the carrier’s ground equipment is already either zero-emissions electrical vehicles or powered by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel. However, it still has to replace over 750 pieces of ground equipment that use fossil fuels.

Its end goal is to have all equipment become zero-emissions electrical vehicles, but since the transition is gradual, HVO fuel is used during the interim. The use of HVO, however, is still extremely efficient as it saves over 6,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Among its ground equipment, the airline will also be replacing all diesel-powered passenger steps with electric versions, reducing fuel consumption and saving over 370 tonnes of CO2 per annum. The airline aims to have most of them replaced by the end of 2024. A further 20 diesel-powered cargo loading-and-unloading vehicles will also be replaced with hybrid or electric models.

Additionally, the airline will introduce 135 new electrical baggage tugs, which will account for 40% of the carriers’ tugs at LHR. However, these tugs will utilize newer and more efficient battery technology and charging technology. Keeping with the sustainability theme, the airline stated it will work with the supply chain to recycle the maximum possible battery components as possible at the end of battery life.

Furthermore, British Airways will be phasing out its fleet of 38 diesel-powered passenger buses over the next two years, with 23 to be replaced with all-electric buses and the remaining to be powered by HVO fuel. While this helps reduce the airline’s carbon footprint, this move will also help improve the air quality around the airport. The expected savings in CO2 emissions is approximately 800 tonnes annually.

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Simple Flying has reached out to British Airways to know more about the other green initiatives the airline is working on. Any response received will be updated in the article.

Work in progress

While British Airways is taking enormous strides towards achieving its net-zero carbon emissions goal, there is still a lot of work to be done. A key factor that must change is the jet fuel currently being used by aircraft. While sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is currently being used around the world, the rate of production does not meet the demand of the global aviation industry.

Data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows that the current SAF production only meets 0.53% of the aviation industry’s fuel requirement. However, this number is growing rapidly.

Photo: Abid Habib | Simple Flying

The above graph shows SAF production doubling from 2022 to 2023, and IATA forecasts three times more SAF to be produced in 2024 compared to 2023. As more airlines and organizations invest in SAF production and infrastructure, the economies of scale will continue increasing, thereby reducing the disparity between the supply and demand of SAF, which will ultimately reduce the cost of SAF, which at the moment is around five times more expensive than regular jet fuel.

IATA states that this year, SAF, as a portion of globally produced renewable energy, will grow from 3% to 6%. However, the industry will need this portion to increase to around 30% to meet its target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Is SAF the future?

While airlines and suppliers are working together to boost SAF production, work is also being done across the industry to develop alternate clean fuels that can be sustainable for the future of aviation. A key contender in this regard is liquid hydrogen fuel and great strides are being taken in this field.

Photo: Airbus

Earlier this year, Airbus successfully powered up its ZEROe engine, with test flights expected to be performed in 2026. Apart from working on a propulsion system, Airbus also has a range of concept aircraft designed to be powered using liquid hydrogen. Airbus has set 2035 as the expected year for these aircraft to enter commercial service.

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The ZEROe demonstrator is also the first-ever A380, also known as MSN001, produced.

What do you think of British Airways’ plans to overhaul its ground equipment? Let us know in the comments below.