Airport News: Sustainable Projects and Security Technology

Munich Airport (Germany) has inaugurated a new electric bus depot as part of its “Net Zero 2035” strategy to eliminate CO₂ emissions from operations. The facility, located on the airport’s southern side, initially provides 37 charging stations for battery-electric passenger buses, with 13 more to follow by the end of summer 2025. A third expansion phase planned within two years will add 22 further chargers and photovoltaic-equipped carports.

AeroGround, Munich Airport’s ground handling subsidiary, currently operates 37 zero-emission buses for apron passenger services, with 18 more to be delivered by year-end and a long-term target of up to 72. In 2024, AeroGround also introduced 173 other zero-emission vehicles, including transporters, conveyor belts and lift trucks, as part of the broader conversion of its ground support fleet.

The Federal Ministry of Transport has provided EUR 23.8 million (USD 25.9 million) in funding for the bus and charging infrastructure through Germany’s Recovery and Resilience Plan under the European Union’s NextGeneration EU programme.

According to Munich Airport, the current e-bus fleet already saves more than 2,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, a figure expected to exceed 4,000 tonnes once the transition is complete. #1250.GSE1

Aurrigo International, a UK autonomous technology company based in Coventry, announced on 27 August 2025 that it has secured GBP 700,000 (USD 924,000) in funding to expand its Ramp Ready project at East Midlands Airport (United Kingdom). The project will deploy two Auto-Cargo electric autonomous cargo vehicles and one eight-passenger Auto-Shuttle over the next nine months, refining a multi-vehicle framework for simultaneous cargo and crew transport. Auto-Cargo is capable of carrying a 16,500kg payload, providing a zero-emission alternative to conventional diesel-powered vehicles.

Funding comes from the Connected and Automated Mobility Pathfinder – Enhancements programme, which is backed by the UK government. The programme will support environmental testing, simulation development and low-volume modular manufacturing to improve scalability.

Ramp Ready is one of four Aurrigo projects awarded GBP 1 million (USD 1.32 million) in grants for sustainable transport trials in locations including the Orkney Islands and the West Midlands. Partners include International Airlines Group, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership and consultancy Urban Foresight.

Aurrigo stated that the initiative will generate critical operational data to advance commercial readiness of autonomous vehicles for both airside logistics and passenger transport, while contributing to the UK’s wider sustainable mobility strategy.

Exolum, a Spanish fuel logistics company active at 49 airports in Europe and Latin America, announced on 27 August 2025 that it will invest EUR 70 million (USD 76 million) in a new fuel storage and distribution facility at Düsseldorf Airport (Germany). The project, beginning construction in the third quarter of 2026, will replace two existing depots and increase capacity by 41% to 9,000m³. The new infrastructure is designed for greater use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and sulphur-free kerosene. Exolum will operate the facility for 20 years, with a possible five-year extension, after which ownership will transfer to the airport. Commissioning is planned for the second quarter of 2028.

From late 2029, most deliveries will arrive by rail rather than truck, enabling supply from distant refineries, including SAF producers in Rotterdam. This is expected to reduce CO2 emissions, relieve road networks and improve efficiency.

Düsseldorf Airport, which handled 20 million passengers in 2024 and is the largest airport in North Rhine-Westphalia, has set a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2035. The tank farm forms part of its long-term sustainability strategy, ensuring future fuel logistics can support both operational reliability and the transition to SAF.

Hexagon, a global provider of digital reality and sensor technologies, is introducing digital twin and LIDAR capabilities to aviation ground support with the aim of creating safer, more efficient, and data-driven airport operations. The company’s platforms, including HxGN dC3 Orchestrator and HxGN Connect, integrate camera feeds, sensor data and communication systems into a unified operational space. For ground handling, this means real-time monitoring of assets and personnel, immediate alerts on delays or incidents, and rapid identification of critical equipment malfunctions.

A core innovation is the use of digital twins—3D virtual models of airport environments—combined with LIDAR sensors mounted around airfields. These systems can generate precise outlines of aircraft and vehicles, detect unsafe proximity between objects and issue immediate alerts to ground staff. In practice, this could prevent collisions between private aircraft during large events, ensure baggage carts remain in designated lanes, or flag dropped luggage for quick recovery.

Beyond collision avoidance, the technology supports safety enforcement by ensuring only authorised personnel or vehicles access restricted areas, and by tracking the movement and speed of ground support equipment. It can also address workforce shortages by automating routine monitoring and reducing reliance on manual oversight.

Hexagon emphasises that costs are manageable, particularly as many airports already maintain digital twins of infrastructure. The addition of LIDAR sensors allows real-time operational data to be layered on top of existing models, enabling airports to scale the technology incrementally.

Looking ahead, Hexagon expects airports to adopt full operational digital twins, allowing predictive safety management, traffic flow control and long-term planning. This shift from reactive incident response to proactive prevention is seen as central to modernising ground operations and reducing liability across the aviation sector.

Smiths Detection, a UK-based provider of threat detection and screening technologies, is pursuing parallel strategies in 2025 to expand its service capabilities and strengthen its role in airport security innovation. On 1 August 2025, the company announced the acquisition of New Jersey-based Med Graphix Inc. (MGI), a long-time service partner specialising in component repair, refurbishment and decommissioning. MGI has supported Smiths Detection for more than two decades as a third-party depot supplier, helping to extend equipment lifecycles, optimise inventories and reduce customer costs. By bringing MGI in-house, Smiths Detection aims to reinforce its global service infrastructure and enhance sustainable service delivery. Integration planning, which began in March 2025, is set to continue until the end of the year to ensure continuity for both employees and customers.

In a separate development, Smiths Detection has completed the integration of its HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX computed tomography screening machines with the Pangiam Threat Detection platform from BigBear.ai, a U.S. artificial intelligence company. The collaboration enables real-time identification of prohibited items in luggage, with the integrated system currently on trial at several international airports. Both firms emphasised that the system’s interoperability reflects the aviation industry’s move toward open architecture security solutions, allowing AI analytics to be combined with advanced CT imaging to meet airport-specific requirements.

Smiths Detection has presented this integration as part of its Ada initiative for responsible open systems, while BigBear.ai said the collaboration will improve both detection speed and passenger processing. The Pangiam system, developed under “Project Dartmouth,” was designed for integration with third-party hardware and algorithms, providing flexibility for security agencies facing evolving threats. The project follows BigBear.ai’s deployment of its biometric veriScan system at Denver International Airport (Colorado, United States) in October 2024.

Publisher’s note: The articles in this special report, compiled for inter airport Europe, are a few select samples from the biweekly Momberger Airport Information newsletter, published since 1973. The newsletter is an advertising-free, global airport news service that consists of 9 modules and allows subscribers to customize their own newsletter package. The modules that make up the biweekly newsletter are: Airport Development (DEV), Calendar of Events (CAL), and the subscriber-selectable modules Airport Operations (OPS), Management, Ownership & Finance (MGT), Ground Support Equipment (GSE), Air Traffic Services (ATC), Consultant & Contractor / Sustainable Aviation (CON), Airport Information Technology (AIT), and Maintenance Base & FBO (MRO). For more information, a sample of a complete newsletter issue, and to order an annual subscription, please visit www.mombergerairport.info.

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