Smart Airports in Action: How Global Hubs Are Upgrading for Efficiency and Sustainability

Heathrow Airport (United Kingdom) is deploying 540 additional cameras to expand Assaia’s AI-powered ApronAI turnaround system across Terminals 2, 3 and 5, enhancing real-time monitoring of aircraft ground operations at 116 gates. Heathrow is partnering with International Airlines Group (IAG) and Assaia to build on the successful first phase at Terminal 5, where 52 cameras were deployed across 17 stands in collaboration with British Airways. The ApronAI platform uses video analytics to track turnaround tasks such as baggage unloading, refuelling and boarding, providing insights to reduce delays, improve gate efficiency, and enhance operational predictability.

This rollout forms part of Heathrow’s GBP 2.3 billion (USD 3.2 billion) capital investment programme aimed at modernising infrastructure and increasing operational efficiency to support growing passenger numbers, timely take-offs and landings, and environmental goals by reducing aircraft idle time and unnecessary fuel burn.

The initiative demonstrates how integrated AI technology can deliver immediate, measurable improvements in on-time performance and gate capacity, aligning with Heathrow’s broader plans for operational excellence and future growth.

Edinburgh Airport (United Kingdom) has added two new compact jet sweepers to its winter resilience fleet. Edinburgh Airport is Scotland’s busiest airport, located approximately 9 kilometres west of central Edinburgh, with a 2,556-metre runway and handling extensive domestic and international flights across Europe and North America.

The new compact jet sweepers (CJS), supplied by Aebi Schmidt, replace older equipment in use since 2010 and will support snow and ice clearance on taxiways and aircraft stands as the airport continues to expand operations. The CJS units will complement two ASP 24-metre airport de-icers from Aebi Schmidt introduced two years ago.

The airport cited the adaptability, manoeuvrability, and integration of Aebi Schmidt’s IntelliOPS winter service platform as key reasons for the selection, allowing precise oversight of de-icing material and supporting operational resilience during winter conditions. Aebi Schmidt, a global supplier of airport snow and ice clearance equipment, also provided technical advice and after-sales support, which the airport identified as an important factor in continuing the partnership.

London (United Kingdom) is advancing upgrades at London Biggin Hill Airport through a turnkey airfield ground lighting (AGL) contract awarded to UK-based ATG Airports.

London Biggin Hill Airport, a business aviation airport with a 1,820-metre runway, is incorporating this AGL project into its wider runway resurfacing programme to improve operational safety, efficiency and reliability under low-visibility and night operations.

ATG Airports will deliver the full scope of supply, installation, testing and commissioning, including high-performance runway centreline lighting with FX850A LED inset fixtures, runway edge lighting, stop bars and control system updates, ensuring compliance with ICAO recommendations.

The project will be executed with a focus on safety, programme deadlines and minimising disruption to airfield operations, supporting the airport’s long-term operational readiness and performance goals.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has received a contract to refurbish the Automated People Mover (APM) system at Singapore Changi Airport, announced on 25 June 2025. The project, managed via MHI Asia Pacific in Singapore, will upgrade key systems including signals, communications, and tracks to enhance safe and efficient passenger transport within the airport, with completion scheduled for 2030. MHI previously delivered Changi Airport’s APM system in 2007 and has since supported its operations and maintenance while increasing transport capacity.

The refurbishment will be conducted with minimal disruption to current operations, reinforcing MHI’s role in providing reliable transport infrastructure at one of Southeast Asia’s major hub airports.

Airbus (Toulouse, France) on 10 July 2025 confirmed that trials of its hybrid-electric, pilot-controlled Taxibot ground tug are progressing to reduce aircraft emissions during taxiing.

The Taxibot, now certified for Airbus single-aisle aircraft retrofit, enables aircraft to taxi between remote stands and runways without using engines, reducing jet fuel consumption and emissions during ground movements. easyJet plans to trial the Taxibot at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (North Holland, Netherlands) later this year, with New York JFK, New Delhi, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Brussels airports also preparing trials.

The system clamps to the aircraft’s nose landing gear, raising it onto a pivotable platform, allowing pilots to steer and brake while the tug powers movement. The technology is part of HERON (Highly Efficient gReen OperatioNs) under the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) Joint Undertaking, in which Airbus collaborates with 23 other partners across 10 countries to optimise sustainable aircraft operations.

Textron Ground Support Equipment Inc., a provider of airport ground handling solutions, has introduced its Premier TT4000 tanker truck to improve de-icing efficiency at busy airports. The TT4000, built on a Freightliner M2 106 chassis with a turbocharged Cummins L9 diesel engine, features a 15,142-litre (4,000-gallon) capacity with twin linked 5,678-litre (1,500-gallon) tanks for de-icing fluid and a 3,785-litre (1,000-gallon) tank for anti-ice fluid, enabling it to refill up to three de-icers in a single trip. Designed for ramp safety with a governed top speed of 48 km/h, the unit can refill a de-icer in as little as 10 minutes, using a high-capacity pumping system that moves 757 litres per minute (200 gallons per minute) for de-icing fluid and 284 litres per minute (75 gallons per minute) for anti-icing fluid.

The TT4000’s stainless-steel tanks, advanced hose retraction system, and suction-fill capability support efficient and safe operations, aiming to reduce de-icer downtime and enhance ramp productivity for ground handlers, aligning with Textron GSE’s commitment to operational reliability and customer-driven solutions.

DOLL Airport Equipment has started series production of its Half Cut highloaders to increase capacity and reduce delivery times. The company, which supplies catering, cleaning and medical highloaders to airports globally, now uses a standardised industrial process controlling the entire workflow from cab conversion of the Iveco Eurocargo to final assembly. This ensures consistent quality while allowing customers to plan deliveries precisely, replacing earlier manual cab conversions by external providers.

The Half Cut highloader design removes the passenger side of the cab and adds a superstructure positioned lower to enable safe servicing of smaller aircraft with low sill heights while providing drivers with a clear view of the aircraft door during docking. The reinforced halved cab has passed a full ECE crash test and meets EU General Safety Regulation GSR II requirements.

Equipped with a mirror replacement camera system and a 3D sensor system, the highloader enhances safety by providing drivers with real-time monitoring and automatically braking when within 0.5 metres of the aircraft. Displays inside the cab also allow monitoring of stabilisers and platform positions to support precise, safe manoeuvring around aircraft during loading operations.

The Half Cut highloader holds EU-wide certification under a Certificate of Conformity (COC), confirming compliance with type approval regulations and enabling faster registration without the need for separate cab and superstructure approvals, ensuring rapid readiness for airport and road use.

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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