easyJet and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport have begun operational deployment of TaxiBot engine-off taxiing for Airbus aircraft after completing a successful test phase. The system uses an automated towing vehicle to move aircraft between gate and runway with the main engines largely shut down, aiming to cut fuel burn, emissions and ground noise during taxi.
The deployment currently involves four easyJet Airbus aircraft equipped to use TaxiBot at Schiphol. The technology is being introduced as part of a wider effort by the airport and the airline to decarbonize ground operations and reduce the environmental footprint of taxiing, which represents a non‑negligible share of fuel consumption and local air pollution around airports.
TaxiBot is a semi-robotic or automated tow tractor concept that keeps control in the cockpit while the aircraft is moved by a specialized ground vehicle rather than by its own engines. At Schiphol, the rollout is described as automated or electric taxiing, reflecting the use of this engine-off towing solution on regular operations following earlier trials.
The initiative is being carried out in cooperation with Schiphol Airport, easyJet, ground handler Menzies, Airbus and SAS. With this deployment, Amsterdam Schiphol positions itself as an early adopter of automated taxiing technologies in Europe, using engine-off towing to address fuel use, CO2 and pollutant emissions, and noise from aircraft movements on the ground.