The electric turnaround took place at Stornoway Airport in the Outer Hebrides and follows Loganair’s £2 million investment in ground handling technology.
Loganair is acquiring almost 100 new pieces of ground equipment including electric baggage tractors, luggage belts, solar-powered boarding ramps and hybrid ground power units.
Once incorporated into Loganair’s ground operations across the Highlands and Islands, the new equipment will mitigate the need for over 70,000 litres of diesel annually.
Electric ground handling is the latest initiative in Loganair’s GreenSkies environmental programme, which sets the target of carbon neutrality by 2040.
It introduced the GreenSkies Community Fund, which provides grants to establish local renewable projects.
The airline is upgrading its fleet with new ATR turboprops reducing carbon emissions by 27% per seat compared to the Saab 340s they replace.
Maurice Boyle, Chief Operations Officer at Loganair, said: “Our new electric equipment replaces diesel-powered machinery, reducing our use of fossil fuels but also creating a much cleaner and user-friendly working environment for our staff. Being first out of the block is a great achievement for our Stornoway staff, and great for the island community. I hope our customers will welcome our progress and get on board with us as we continue our journey towards sustainable aviation.”
Airports in Sumburgh, Kirkwall and Benbecula will soon receive electric ground equipment with the last pieces of diesel-powered ground equipment being phased out by the end of the summer.
