In Europe, more and more airports are boasting the use of electrically powered apron vehicles. In India, the government now wants to put pressure on and accelerate the switch to electric motors.

Starting next year, ground service providers and airports will have to replace older devices and vehicles with modern ones with electric drives. Smaller airports benefit from a long transition period, provided they have fewer than 3,5 million passengers per year.

An order from the Civil Aviation Authority of India stipulates that older vehicles and equipment must be replaced by May 2022. If it is not an electric drive, the operator in question must prove that it is particularly fuel-efficient. With this measure, the government of India wants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at airports.