Air France - KLM to Test Emission-Free Airport Vehicles

Air France and KLM will be among the first airlines in the world to test AirPods. In May 2009, a pilot project kicks off using seven of these zero-emission, compressed-air-driven vehicles.

Air France and KLM will be using these zero-emission vehicles over a six-month period to transport passengers and light cargo at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol (East). Diesel vehicles are currently still in use at these airports.

The AirPod exemplifies the series of sustainable innovations admired by Minister Camiel Eurlings, Minister of Transport and Public Works for the Dutch government when he visited KLM on Wednesday. A recent agreement closed between the sector and government focuses on promoting sustainable innovation. KLM intends to turn these agreements into concrete achievements.

“We don’t stop at pretty words,” said KLM President & CEO Peter Hartman. “Despite facing strong economic headwind, KLM intends to continue to lead the world in the field of innovation and sustainability.”

The minister also admired several other innovations including:

- Aircraft stairs featuring solar panels. These stairs are used handling aircraft at the new B Pier (South), for example, where there are no gates.

- Reusing old aircraft components, as initiated by KLM last year. Scraps are used to make new engine components, for example.

- Research into energy recovery from company waste. This process involves converting catering waste into heat and electricity using special technology, releasing no CO2. What’s more, the waste no longer has to be transported elsewhere, further reducing CO2 emissions and saving transports costs.

-  The development of alternative fuels, such as kerosene made from algae. Together with government, KLM hopes to significantly stimulate this development.

- The use of sustainable materials and achieving weight savings on board, such as the use of lighter trolleys, saving almost ten kilograms a trolley. Depending on the destination, this involves around eight to eleven trolleys a flight. Other examples include lighter fleece blankets, coffee cups made of recyclable raw materials, and serving sustainable fish and rainforest coffee.

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