FAA Certified the Boeing 737 family for Taxiing from the Gate to Takeoff by TaxiBot®
October 9, 2017 – Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) TaxiBot has reached another key milestone. The Boeing 737 family has recently been officially certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for TaxiBot® dispatch towing. The Supplement Type Certificate (STC) was issued by the FAA and joins the existing certificates that were issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI). The FAA certification for the Boeing 737 family covers the Boeing 737-300, 737-400, 737-500, 737-600, 737-700, 737-700C, 737-800, 737-900 and 737-900ER Series. The FAA certification for the B737 family joins the certification of the A320 aircraft family by Airbus that has been granted by EASA and the FAA in May 2017.
The certification for both B737 and A320 families completes the overall certification package planned for the TaxiBot and covers more than 70 percent of the entire worldwide commercial airlines flights that could be provided with TaxiBot service.
Shaul Shahar, Corporate V.P. & General Manager, IAI Military Aircraft Group: “The FAA certification of the B737 family is a key step for the TaxiBot program and will enhance the possibility to provide TaxiBot services to airline fleets in the American markets. The TaxiBot will improve operations at the airport gate area while reducing costs also for aircraft not using the TaxiBot by freeing gates at a quicker pace. Reduced block-time, savings in fuel consumption and reduction of greenhouse gases are in line with the interests of both airlines and airports.”
TaxiBot, a semi-robotic pilot-controlled vehicle, is designed to transport commercial airline aircraft from terminal gates to the runway and back, without using the airplane’s own engines. TaxiBot started dispatch-towing commercial Lufthansa Boeing 737 flights departing out of Frankfurt Airport in November 2014.
IAI, along with its industrial risk-sharing partner TLD, has been cooperating with Lufthansa LEOS in the development of the TaxiBot, with support of both OEMs Boeing and Airbus.
Eliana Fishler
Senior VP Communications
Tel: + 972-3-935-8509
