Air India becomes first airline to use 'TaxiBot' on A320 aircraft with passengers on-board

Air India Tuesday became the first airline in the world to use a 'TaxiBot' on a A320 aircraft with passengers on-board. 'TaxiBot' is a robot-used aircraft tractor for taxiing an aircraft from parking bay to runway and vice versa. The carrier's chairman and MD Ashwani Lohani said: "The use of TaxiBot on the Air India aircraft at Indira Gandhi International…is the first such usage on any Airbus aircraft worldwide. Really an achievement to be proud of. A giant step forward towards a cleaner environment." An Air India spokesperson said, "TaxiBot saves precious fuel and reduces engine wear and tear. The ignition will be turned only when the aircraft reaches the runway." The spokesperson said the usage of 'TaxiBots' will significantly bring down the consumption of fuel by as much as 85% used during taxiing of an aircraft. <br/>