AS PART of its ongoing electric vehicles (EV) transition program, Cebu Pacific (CEB) the Philippines’ leading airline, is commissioning this quarter a demonstration run for an electric baggage tractor and charging station.
Baggage tractors are essential equipment used by airlines for towing carts and dollies in their ramp operations. CEB operates more than 100 units of baggage tractors, one of the highest numbers in the airline’s fleet of ground support equipment (GSE).
The 100 percent electric, zero-emission tractor will be operated and tested for CEB’s ground operations at Terminals 3 and 4 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila.
The target this year is to bring in several units of electric baggage tractors for deployment at NAIA.
The electric baggage tractor and charging station demo units are provided by TLD Asia Limited.
It uses lithium-ion batteries, which have a significantly longer life compared to previous-generation lead acid batteries.
The charging station unit is a fast charger that is also provided by TLD. TLD is a subsidiary of Alvest, a group that designs, manufactures, and distributes technical products for the aviation industry.
CEB is expecting one more electric baggage tractor demo unit to arrive from another GSE original equipment manufacturer which is also targeted for deployment in July. (PR)