The TaxiBot, designed by the Israel Aviation Industry in conjunction with TLD, was developed to tow the most commonly used passenger aircraft, the Boeing 737, to the runway. It was tested on a commercial Lufthansa flight and, following review, was approved by Israeli and European aviation authorities. On the day of its launch, a memorandum of understanding was signed between IAI and Lufthansa to design a larger model of the vehicle that would be capable of supporting bigger aircraft, such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380.
The TaxiBot's manufacturers hope to replace the traditional towing vehicle, the pushback. The TaxiBot will pull aircraft to a safe distance from the terminal, after which pilots will use the aircraft's engines to manoeuvre the aircraft without the risk of jet exhaust damaging the terminal or spreading débris. This drive, from the terminal to the runaway, burns a lot of fuel, and so the TaxiBot is deemed a preferable solution: rather than pushing the aircraft back so that it can taxi to the runway by itself, the pilot can drive the TaxiBot from the cockpit by remote control and take it from the terminal to the runway without having to use the aircraft's engine. Using a TaxiBot, therefore, should help airlines to reach their goals of minimising air pollution and reducing fuel consumption.
Lufthansa board member, Kay Kratky, said: "We set ourselves the goal that by 2050 we will reduce our CO2 emission by 50%. The goal is to save fuel, reduce CO2 emissions and minimise the noise level: the TaxiBot helps us do that." Kratky went on to say that the use of the TaxiBot at Frankfurt airport alone will save 2,700 tonnes of fuel per year. "A plane is meant to take off and fly, not drive on the ground," commented Lufthansa's Manager for TaxiBot operations.
