Amsterdam Schiphol Airport’s A‑Area Apron Fully Adopts Electric GPUs; KLM Ground Operations Further Reduce Diesel Equipment Use

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines recently announced that its ground operations at the A‑area apron of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) now fully use electric ground power units (e‑GPU), replacing traditional diesel GPUs. This transition is part of Schiphol Airport’s ongoing push to electrify airside ground equipment, aiming to reduce emissions and noise from apron operations and improve the working environment for ground staff.

Ground Power Units (GPUs) primarily supply external electrical power while an aircraft is parked with its engines shut down, powering cabin lighting, flight‑deck computers and other onboard systems. When a stand lacks a fixed ground‑power installation, a mobile GPU is normally required; switching to electric units cuts the exhaust and noise produced by diesel generators running continuously around the aircraft. Schiphol notes that external power also helps reduce the time aircraft need to run their Auxiliary Power Units (APUs).

Schiphol’s GPU electrification did not begin only recently. The airport started phasing out diesel GPUs in 2010 and, from 2017, partnered with ground‑equipment manufacturer ITW to develop battery‑powered e‑GPUs, with the first units entering service at the end of 2021. In 2023 Schiphol announced the acquisition of 30 additional e‑GPUs, and KLM Equipment Services stated at the time that the program aligns with its goal of fully electrifying GPU equipment by 2030.

Unlike fixed ground‑power installations, e‑GPUs are mobile and can be deployed next to aircraft at stands that lack fixed power infrastructure or on remote aprons. Schiphol says its electric GPUs use large battery packs; once charged they can supply the ground power a parked aircraft requires. The airport is also continuing to expand fixed 400 Hz ground‑power and pre‑conditioned air systems to lessen aircraft reliance on diesel equipment and APUs while on the ground.

Schiphol has previously reported that expanding electrical supply to parked aircraft has cut apron‑related emissions by roughly 30 % and also reduced noise in the operating area. The long‑term objective of the airport and partners such as KLM is to drive ground operations toward zero emissions by 2030; the completion of electrification at the A‑area apron marks a further extension of this equipment deployment into KLM’s actual ground‑handling zones.