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At GoAir, we are constantly looking for innovative
ways to lower costs for our passengers while improving
their flying experience at the same time,”
said Giorgio De Roni, CEO, GoAir. “This agreement
allows us to actively participate in the system’s
development — a technology that we believe
has the potential to not only save fuel and reduce
costs, but also improve aircraft turnaround times
and lower noise and emissions in the airport environment.”
Under the agreement, GoAir will provide data
on its taxiing operations to Honeywell and Safran
to assist in maturing the system and to define
the precise fuel and other operational benefits
it would see by using the technology across its
fleets. The agreement will also see GoAir assist
in establishing the airline standard operational
procedures for aircraft equipped with the system.
“Where EGTS comes into its own is in supporting
high-volume, fast-turnaround, short-haul movements,
where aircraft spend a large proportion of the
day on the tarmac taxiing,” said Brian Wenig,
vice president EGTS Program, Honeywell Aerospace.
“As the only electric taxiing system to receive
support from a major OEM to date, EGTS represents
an exciting, cost-effective technology for airlines
to lower their fuel burn and save money.”
Since the technology’s “first move”
last April on board the joint venture’s A320
test aircraft, EGTS has logged more than 200 kilometers
of rolling tests, including various load configurations
and runway conditions, complex maneuvers such
as pushback, tight turns and U-turns, and varying
specifications of acceleration and speed up to
maximum takeoff weight.
“EGTS has a significant benefit over other
systems in that it has a main-gear-based electric
taxiing design,” said Olivier Savin, vice
president EGTS Program, Safran. “Consequently,
EGTS is the only onboard system currently in development
that can generate enough traction to mitigate
the use of engines during taxiing in all weather
conditions and at all airports.”
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