Air India will start TaxiBot operations for its A320 aircraft fleet at Delhi and Bengaluru airports, a move that has the potential to save up to 15,000 tonnes of jet fuel over three years.

The airline has entered into an agreement with KSU Aviation to launch the TaxiBot operations, according to a statement on Thursday.

A semi-robotic equipment, the TaxiBot acts as an extension of an aircraft's nose landing gear. It is used to tow aircraft from the airport terminal gate to the taxi-out point and to tow aircraft from the terminal gate after landing (taxi-in phase) without utilising the aircraft's engines. This will cut down jet fuel consumption.

"The adoption of TaxiBots envisages a potential saving of ~15,000 tonnes in fuel consumption over three years," the statement said.

Air India CEO & MD Campbell Wilson said the airline is constantly looking for ways to improve sustainability and manage its carbon footprint.

"This collaboration with KSU will allow us to better assess the capabilities of TaxiBots, and potentially lead to greater deployment across Air India's subsidiaries and other airports," he said.

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