International ground handling services provider dnata continues to invest in the electrification of its vehicle fleet in Italy. At Rome Fiumicino Airport, four fully electric flatbed buses of the Cobus VEGA model will enter service in mid-November. According to the company, dnata will be the first land operator to implement this new model.
These electric buses have been developed specifically for use on airport aprons and are designed to transport passengers between terminals and planes. dnata claims that they offer a higher passenger capacity than conventional airport buses. Redesigned doors are said to speed up boarding and disembarkation, while improved air conditioning improves comfort. The company has not revealed details about the battery’s capacity, range, or charging power.
With these four new additions, the Fiumicino airport bus fleet will expand beyond the current 40 vehicles. Of them, 23 already have electrical power. The new vehicles are intended to make apron handling more efficient and keep aircraft response times as short as possible.
More than 60 percent of the fleet now electric
The purchase is part of an extensive modernization program in which dnata has invested more than 30 million euros in the last three years. During this period, more than 550 new ground handling equipment has been purchased at Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate airports. These include passenger buses, as well as baggage tractors, conveyor belts, passenger stairs, aircraft loaders and pushback tractors.
In total, dnata operates more than 1,000 units of motorized ground handling equipment at the three Italian airports. More than 60 percent of them now run on electricity. Where full electrification is not yet operationally viable, the company is gradually converting diesel-powered equipment to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).
According to dnata, further electrification also depends on expanding charging infrastructure at airports. To achieve this, the company is working with the respective airport operators. In Italy, dnata employs around 5,000 people and serves more than 60 airlines. In its three headquarters, the company manages more than 150,000 flights, 46 million passengers and almost 18 million suitcases a year.
dnata.com
