Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and European airline builder Airbus have agreed to jointly develop an environment-friendly system to taxi airplanes to and from the gate and the runway without the use of their engines. A report in Globes said the memorandum of understanding was signed today at the 2009 International Paris Air Show, and industry sources estimate it has a business potential of $150-250 million.

The Taxibot Dispatch Towing system is pilot-controlled and semi-robotic. It offers the potential to reduce annual fuel costs from $8 billion to less than $2 billion, carbon dioxide emissions from 18 billion tons to less than 2 million tons per year, and noise emissions by a significant margin. According to the terms of the agreement, IAI will supply the technology and Airbus will market the system which is planned to be ready for first deliveries by the third quarter of 2011.