Tag: Air Canada

Air Canada to go fully electric in Quebec City

Air Canada to use eGSE in Quebec City resizedAir Canada will make Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport its first station to operate a 100% electric GSE fleet by the end of the year.

At the Quebec City (YQB) station, Air Canada will complete its transition away from fossil fuel-powered equipment to electric alternatives for baggage and ramp tractors, belt loaders, power stows, container loaders and aircraft tractors.

The announcement coincided with the start of Earth Month.

Switching to eGSE is a mid-term step towards the long-term goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Using 2019 as a baseline, Air Canada aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions from air operations by 20% and 30% from ground operations by 2030.

Michael Rousseau, President and CEO of Air Canada, said: “The focus of Earth Month 2025 is renewable energy and with Quebec’s renewable hydroelectric power, it is fitting that the city of Quebec is our first fully electric capable station. This project demonstrates the successful collaboration between Air Canada and the YQB airport authority in developing the necessary charging infrastructure to support the transition to a zero direct emission eGSE fleet powered by Quebec’s renewable energy grid.”

Stephane Poirier, President and CEO of the airport, added: “This project was made possible thanks to close collaboration between our teams, and is perfectly in line with our commitment to reduce the environmental footprint of our operations, as well as to provide the support and tools necessary for our airline partners to achieve their GHG reduction objectives. We are proud that YQB is the first Air Canada station to take this important step towards environmental sustainability.”

Air Canada has been retiring older fossil fuel-powered GSE in favour of eGSE and it has over 900 pieces of eGSE equipment, representing 35% of its GSE fleet.

Some operations still require fossil fuel-powered GSE so Air Canada will work with manufacturers to evaluate new technologies, says the airline.

De-Ice and Air Canada to trial chemical-free de-icing

De-Ice partners with Air Canada resizedDe-Ice has named Air Canada as its first customer to use its electromagnetic technology to de-ice aircraft more sustainably.

The technology will be used on Airbus A320-family with tape-like strips attached to the exterior of the aircraft, which connect to the proprietary electronics inside the aircraft.

When activated by the pilot, the system generates high-frequency current, causing electrons on the surface of the aircraft to jiggle, generating heat, melting snow and ice during the boarding process so the aircraft is ice-free and ready for take-off by the time it is pulled back from the gate.

The De-Ice system uses a semi-conductor called gallium nitride to generate a high-frequency current using devices that weigh an order of magnitude less than traditional equipment.

De-Ice says before gallium nitride, transistors capable of generating high-frequency current were made of silicon, which is too inefficient to be used for this application.

The technology means aircraft can be de-iced without using de-icing fluids and it reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Alexander Bratianu-Badea, Co-Founder of De-Ice, said: “De-Ice is proud to introduce our product to the world with Air Canada. Flight delays and the excess carbon emissions caused by chemical-based de-icing will be a thing of the past.”

Murray Strom, Senior Vice President Flight Operations and Maintenance at Air Canada, added: “Not only will De-Ice technology be positive for our customers by reducing delays related to the conventional method of aircraft ice removal, but the environmental benefits of chemical-free de-icing and associated lower fuel consumption are in line with Air Canada’s commitment to a net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050.”