Aéroports de Paris has just finished the construction of Echo 4, a new taxiway located to the East of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport between La Galerie Parisienne and the future regional terminal. This new taxiway helps reduce taxi time, the number of stops as well as fuel consumption.
Hence, within a year, the airlines operating from Terminal 2 at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport will reduce their taxi time by 90,000 minutes (ie.1, 500 hours).
The construction of Echo 4 will also help to reduce fuel consumption. Based on an average taxi consumption of 12 to 14 kg/minute for medium haul flights and 25 to 60 kg/minute for long haul flights, nearly 1.1 million liters of fuel can be saved each year.
« Echo 4 upgrades the quality of service to airlines operating from terminal 2 at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport and has a positive impact on the environmental level. It illustrates Aéroports de Paris initiatives in favour of sustainable development which, in addition to the reduction of taxi time, aim at reducing energy consumption of all our facilities: HEQ approach, geothermal project, car fleet renewal. » highlights Pierre Graff, Chairman and CEO of Aéroports de Paris.
Substantial developments
Since 2000, Aéroports de Paris has been progressively upgrading the taxiways network serving all the terminals at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. With Echo 4, planes have easier access to the new facilities: La Galerie Parisienne and the future 2G regional terminal which is due to open in September 2008. Echo 4, 25-meter wide, can also accommodate jumbo jets such as the Airbus A380.
These developments, amounting to 34.9 million euros, required the creation of several structures: several bridges, including a 116 meter-long one, several ramps providing access to other taxiways and new service roads accessible to airport vehicles only.