After a successful test at its northern Italian base, easyJet will permanently roll out Project APU-ZERO to its Milan Malpensa based. The proof of concept, tested in September 2024, allows easyJet aircraft to switch off its Auxiliary Power Units – a gas turbine located at the tail of the plane.
The APU, one of many essential and intricate parts of a plane not only provides electric power and air conditioning to the aircraft during the turnaround process but also helps to start the engines when the aircraft is taxiing and preparing for take off. APUs consume a large amount of fuel when they are stationary during a turnaround. This contributes to noise and carbon emission on the apron.
To solve this challenge and create a clean and quieter environment on the ground for both staff and passengers – easyJet and its partners TCR, PCA manufacturer Guinault and ground-handling partner Menzies, with the full cooperation of SEA Milan Airports, traded in the APU for electric and hybrid Pre-Conditioning Air Units.
PCAs is a mobile Ground Support Equipment that connects via the gate to the Fixed Electrical Ground Power of the airport. This solution instantly reduces the noise and fuel consumption associated with its predecessor, while providing filtered and condition air to passengers and crew at the time of boarding and deboarding.
After the trial, easyJet saw a decrease in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The airline estimates it’ll make an annual fuel saving of 1,115 tonnes – equivalent to 3,636 tonnes of Co2.
Speaking on the initiative, Lahiru Ranasinghe, Director of Sustainability at easyJet, said: “At easyJet we take a holistic approach to reducing our impact in the air and on the ground. This trial, which was part of our operational efficiency workstream, resulted, without affecting the operation, in fuel and emission savings, and a reduction in sound. This is a small but important step in our larger decarbonisation journey. It is an excellent example that provides both business and environmental benefits. Following a successful proof of concept with TCR, Guinault, and Menzies – we hope to replicate and deploy this model to many other bases we operate in across the network.”
Katy Reid, Head of Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility, at Menzies Aviation added: “It’s fantastic to see this permanent switch to electric-powered Pre-Conditioning Air Units at Milan Malpensa Airport. AGS, Menzies Aviation’s Milan Malpensa partner, has once again done us proud by adapting to new equipment and processes to deliver seamless operations to easyJet on ground.”
This also shows the power of collaboration among airlines, airports, and aviation services in reducing emissions during aircraft turns. It also shows what can be achieved by partners who support each other to achieve our aligned sustainability goal. AGS’s and Menzies’ electric first approach led to 81% of Malpensa Airport’s motorised GSE being electric.
Kristof Philips, CEO of Airport Solutions at TCR, said: “The Collaboration between key stakeholders – Airbus, Guinault, easyJet and Menzies has enabled us to develop an integrated solution for actively managing APU usage on the ground. Witnessing a substantial reduction in APU runs time not only highlights carbon footprints reductions, but also considerable savings while supporting customers in their journey towards sustainability.”
EasyJet is deploying 16 PCAs at Milan Malpensa. Six PCAs will be deployed this month, six more in April and the remaining four in May. EasyJet continues to invest to lower its impact both in the air and on the ground. Just recently easyJet achieved its best-ever per-passenger carbon intensity for 2024 – a 5.6% improvement versus the Net Zero baseline of 2019.
