JetBlue, New York’s Hometown Airline®, is converting its fleet of baggage tractors and belt loaders – the largest part of its ground service equipment fleet at New York’s JFK International Airport – to electric powered. With support from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New York Power Authority (NYPA), JetBlue is rolling out the largest fleet of electric ground service equipment (eGSE) at JFK.
JetBlue is constantly looking for more-efficient technologies and sustainable fuel options. Electric bag tugs and belt loaders will replace the previous vehicles which were powered by gasoline. The new eGSE equipment will help reduce noise, improve energy efficiency and lessen JetBlue’s environmental footprint.
By converting to eGSE, additional benefits for JetBlue will include: cutting four million pounds of CO2 greenhouse gas emission (1,700 metric tons) per year – equivalent to the amount of CO2 absorbed by 2,100 acres of U.S. forests, reducing ground fuel usage by approx. 200,000 gallons of ground fuel a year and improving its bottom line with more than US$500,000 in ground fuel savings annually.
