Narita Airport Starts First Full-EV Aircraft Ground Handling Operation

Nishitetsu Air Service Co., Ltd. commenced full-EV ground handling for a single aircraft at Narita Airport on June 2, 2026, marking a first for the airport. The initiative aims to reduce environmental impact and ensure sustainable airport operations. The introduction is Nishitetsu Air Service's first EV deployment, with plans to expand to other airports. Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA) is supporting this transition by developing large-scale charging infrastructure for ground support equipment (GSE) under its Sustainable NRT2050 vision, which targets CO2 emission reductions by FY2050. The full-EV ground handling process utilizes six types of electric vehicles from TLD and Mototok (remote-controlled cars only), including towing tractors, belt loaders, high-lift loaders, passenger steps, towing cars, and remote-controlled towing cars. The vehicles perform all passenger luggage loading, baggage transport, and aircraft pushback functions from arrival to departure. Both companies plan to accelerate carbon-neutral efforts to achieve a sustainable society. Nishitetsu Air Service, founded in 1990 with 40 million yen capital, provides ground handling at 10 airport locations.