Inside the technologies reshaping airport ground operations

Sweeptech Environmental Services, a UK provider of specialist airfield and infrastructure sweeping services, has acquired the business and trading assets of Brooking Hire and Munihire Operated. The acquisitions expand Sweeptech’s capabilities in airport, highway and industrial operations across the United Kingdom. The acquired businesses will operate as part of the Sweeptech Group and add specialist fleet assets and operational capacity to the company’s existing infrastructure support activities.

Sweeptech stated that it will assume responsibility for customer and supplier relationships associated with both businesses and is managing the integration process. The company said the acquisitions support its continuing growth in airport-related services, including runway and airfield sweeping operations.

No financial details of the transactions were disclosed. The companies did not announce any changes to existing airport contracts, operational locations or staffing arrangements as part of the acquisitions.  

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Netherlands) is expanding the use of electric TaxiBot towing technology in cooperation with Menzies Aviation and easyJet as part of efforts to reduce emissions from aircraft ground operations. TaxiBot is a semi-robotic electric towing vehicle that allows aircraft to taxi between the gate and runway without using their main engines. Following trials earlier in 2026, easyJet has expanded the system to three additional Airbus A320neo aircraft operating at the airport. Schiphol is currently the first airport in Europe using electric TaxiBot operations for Airbus aircraft.

According to the companies, the system reduces fuel burn by approximately 95 kg per flight and cuts CO₂ emissions by around 299 kg per movement. Wider deployment could reduce taxi fuel consumption by up to 65% while also lowering NOx emissions, ultrafine particles and apron noise levels.

Menzies Aviation is responsible for integrating the system into day-to-day ramp operations at Schiphol, including operating the TaxiBot vehicles, training staff and coordinating aircraft movements during turnarounds. The company stated that the deployment forms part of its “All In” sustainability strategy targeting net-zero operations by 2045.

The project reflects increasing industry focus on reducing emissions generated during aircraft taxi operations, particularly at large hub airports with high traffic volumes and growing environmental constraints.

Brussels Airport (Belgium) and Safran Aero Boosters, a Belgian aerospace engineering company, have begun a three-month trial of a mobile air filtration system designed to reduce fine and ultrafine particle concentrations near the airport apron.

The 12 m-long prototype, installed beside the airfield, draws in ambient air and removes particulate matter through an industrial filtration process before releasing filtered air back into the surrounding environment. Brussels Airport stated that it is the first airport to test the technology in an operational airport setting.

The trial follows an initial test phase conducted between December 2025 and March 2026 near Pier A. Air quality measurements undertaken by the Scientific Institute of Public Service (ISSeP) and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) indicated positive preliminary results regarding the system’s ability to reduce airborne particles.

The current test programme will continue until the end of September 2026 and will evaluate the technology’s operational performance and potential future deployment at airports and other industrial environments. The project is supported by the Walloon Region and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

ADB SAFEGATE, a Belgium-based airport technology company, has opened a new global headquarters and manufacturing facility in Machelen, near Brussels, Belgium.

The facility consolidates the company’s research and development, manufacturing and corporate management activities at a single site. It will serve as ADB SAFEGATE’s global innovation centre for airport technologies, including airfield lighting systems, power and control systems, digital airport platforms and artificial intelligence-based applications.

The project also expands the company’s assembly, testing and manufacturing capacity. ADB SAFEGATE stated that the facility will support shorter product development cycles and increased production capabilities for its global airport customer base.

Founded in Belgium more than 100 years ago, ADB SAFEGATE supplies airside technology and operational systems to more than 3,000 airports in over 175 countries. The company said the new facility will support future product development and manufacturing activities while strengthening its presence in Belgium.

Nashville International Airport (Tennessee, United States) has hosted a live operational demonstration of artificial intelligence-based baggage screening software developed by SeeTrue. The trial was conducted by the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and Transportation Security Laboratory. SeeTrue’s Image on Alarm Only (IOAO) software was integrated with a computed tomography (CT) scanner to automatically identify prohibited items in passenger carry-on baggage.

The demonstration follows laboratory testing and an earlier operational trial at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas (Nevada, United States). SeeTrue was selected for evaluation under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the Department of Homeland Security in 2023.

The technology is being assessed for its potential to improve screening efficiency, strengthen security performance and reduce passenger processing times at airport security checkpoints. No deployment timetable or procurement decision has been announced.  

Ontario International Airport (California, United States) has added its first fully electric truck to support airport maintenance, logistics and transportation operations. Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA), the airport operator, unveiled the zero-emission vehicle on 15 June 2026. Manufactured by California-based ZO Motors USA, the truck will be used for facilities maintenance, transportation services and the movement of temperature-sensitive materials. The vehicle was acquired through a grant agreement with San Bernardino County.

The addition forms part of the airport’s wider sustainability programme. Ontario International Airport already operates eight electric shuttle buses serving terminals and parking facilities and is introducing electric-powered gate systems designed to reduce aircraft fuel consumption while parked.

The airport has also incorporated recycled materials into airfield and roadway reconstruction projects, expanded waste diversion programmes and increased the use of reclaimed water for irrigation. Ontario International Airport handles more than 7 million passengers annually and serves destinations across the United States, Mexico, Central America and Taiwan.  

Xinjiang Airport Group has placed a new order with Chinese autonomous vehicle developer UISEE Technologies for ten autonomous passenger buses and six unmanned delivery vehicles, expanding deployment of driverless systems at Urumqi Tianshan International Airport (Xinjiang, China). The order builds on an existing fleet of autonomous baggage tractors and shuttle buses already operating at the airport. According to UISEE, more than 60 autonomous vehicles have accumulated over one million kilometres of operations at Urumqi Airport, supporting baggage, cargo and airside transport activities.

The latest agreement expands the partnership beyond cargo and baggage handling into passenger transport services. The companies stated that they intend to use the project to accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicle technologies across civil aviation applications and further develop automated airport ground transport networks.

Sydney Airport (Australia) and Qantas have begun a three-month trial of automated boarding gates at the international terminal as part of efforts to streamline passenger processing. The trial, conducted with aviation technology company SITA, is operating at Gate 10 and requires passengers to scan either a digital or printed boarding pass before entering the aerobridge. The system is intended to reduce boarding pass errors and allow gate staff to focus more on customer service activities.

The technology supports Qantas' group boarding process, introduced in 2024, under which passengers are assigned boarding groups based on cabin class, frequent flyer status and seat location. Boarding pass scanners prevent passengers from boarding before their group is called.

Qantas said the trial will assess operational benefits, including improved boarding efficiency and on-time departures. Similar automated boarding gate systems are already in use at airports in London, Tokyo Haneda and several airports in the United States.

The technology is also planned for deployment at Western Sydney International Airport when the new airport opens later in 2026. Feedback from passengers and staff will be collected during the trial before any wider rollout is considered.

ATG Airports, Siemens and Parmley Graham have expanded their collaboration on programmable logic controller (PLC)-based airfield ground lighting control systems for major international airports. ATG Airports develops and integrates aviation ground lighting control systems used to manage critical airfield lighting infrastructure. The systems incorporate redundant control architectures, distributed input/output networks and dual-redundant Modbus TCP communications designed to support continuous airport operations and high system availability.

The solutions are based on automation technology supplied by Siemens and supported by Parmley Graham, which provides Siemens automation components and engineering support. The systems are designed for integration with airfield power and lighting equipment at airports handling high volumes of aircraft movements.

No specific airport projects, contract values, implementation schedules or installation locations were disclosed. The announcement relates to the companies’ ongoing cooperation in delivering airfield lighting control infrastructure for international airport operations. 

Assaia has obtained SOC 2 Type 2 certification for its artificial intelligence-based airport and airline operational management platforms. The certification was awarded following an independent audit by cybersecurity and compliance firm A-LIGN and assesses the effectiveness of security, availability and risk management controls over an extended period. The standard is administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Assaia provides software that uses artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and computer vision to support airport and airline operations, including aircraft turnaround management, resource allocation and operational monitoring. The company’s systems are used in airport environments where operational and customer data security requirements are increasingly important.

The certification follows Assaia’s SOC 2 Type 1 certification in 2025 and ISO 27001:2022 information security certification obtained in 2024. The company stated that the latest certification supports compliance and governance requirements as airports and airlines expand the use of AI-based operational technologies.

Publisher’s note: The articles in this special report, compiled for inter airport Global, 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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