• IndiGo SpiceJet Delhi Airport Getty
    Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    DEL/VIDP
    Country:
    India
    CEO:
    Videh Kumar Jaipuriar
    Passenger Count :
    28,500,545 (2020)
    Runways :
    09/27 - 2,813m (9,229ft) | 10/28 - 3,810m (12,500ft) | 11R/29L - 4,430m (14,534ft) | 11L/29R - 4,400m (14,436ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 3

Delhi airport is wasting no time working towards a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to meet its larger environmental goals by the end of this decade. Its current focus is to replace all airside vehicles with EVs in the next few months, for which it is working with several stakeholders.

Old vehicles out, new EVs in

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport plans to replace all of its regular fuel-consuming airside vehicles with electrical vehicles (EV) in the next four months. This would include vehicles that are used on runways, taxiways, and aprons to support operations for flight movements.

The plan was announced by the airport’s operator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a day after World Environment Day on June 5th. The airport will see 62 EVs replace its existing vehicles in a phased manner over the next four months, and it is projected that the move will help reduce close to 1,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year. Videh Kumar, DIAL’s CEO, commented,

“DIAL has set a target to make Delhi Airport a Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030 … It is a first-of-its-kind initiative by any Indian airport to ensure a clean transportation environment. The electric mobility, when packaged with appropriate ground support technology and infrastructure, presents a viable alternative in reducing vehicular emissions at the airport.”

Game plan

Inducting 60+ EVs also means developing infrastructure to support such operations. DIAL plans to install high-voltage and fast-charging stations at critical places for the efficient functioning of these vehicles and to meet the requirements of all other airport stakeholders.

In order to make these changes, DIAl will work with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to make necessary improvements to EVs to install airport-specific equipment. It is also collaborating closely with the IGI stakeholders for the trouble-free transition of these EVs.

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Delhi airport has been pursuing its environmental ambitions for quite some time now. In 2020, it became the first in the country to be free of single-use plastics, and a year later, it was praised for becoming the first in the world to clock 1,000 TaxiBot movements.

Delhi Airport
The airport will see 62 EVs replace its existing vehicles in a phased manner over the next four months Photo: Gaurav Joshi - Simple Flying

Green push

Delhi Airport isn’t an isolated project for Indian aviation’s environmental goals. In 2015, Cochin International Airport in the southern state of Kerala became the first in the world to use solar energy for all its energy needs. In fact, the Indian government is now encouraging all airports to install green energy-generation equipment to fulfill all their energy requirements via renewable sources.

In March, India’s Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced that he has made it mandatory for all airports in the country to conduct a carbon-mapping exercise. This was done to get a better idea about the direct and indirect sources of emissions at airports.

In November 2021, The Ministry of Civil Aviation of India (MoCA) also gave a tight deadline to many airports to replace all old airport equipment, including transport buses, pushback tugs, and baggage tractors, by May this year. The order said that no ground support equipment older than 12 years would be allowed, even if refurbished.

Solar_panels_for_Cochin_International_Airport
In 2015, India's Cochin International Airport became the first in the world to use solar energy for all its energy needs. Photo: Sreejithk2000 via Wikimedia Commons

It’s too soon to tell the overall impact of these initiatives, but data in the coming years should throw some light on how effective these methods are in reducing emissions.

What do you think about Delhi Airport’s initiative? Please let us know in the comment section below.