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From arrival to take-off, every aircraft turnaround relies on multiple ground vehicles, most of them still diesel-powered.
At Geneva Airport, Swissport has now completed that entire process using only electric equipment, marking Switzerland’s first fully electric aircraft turnaround.
The milestone was achieved during the handling of a Brussels Airlines flight, where every stage of the operation, from the moment the aircraft arrived on stand to its eventual pushback for departure, was carried out without a single diesel-powered vehicle.
What Geneva Airport’s fully electric aircraft turnaround involved
An aircraft turnaround is a tightly choreographed sequence of tasks carried out under significant time pressure.
In Geneva, Swissport covered the entire cycle using battery-powered ground support equipment (GSE), including passenger disembarking and boarding, baggage and cargo loading and unloading, aircraft servicing, and pushback from the gate.
Photo: Swissport
To achieve this, the handler deployed electric baggage tractors, an electric pushback tractor, passenger boarding stairs and conveyor belt loaders. These are among the most heavily used assets on the ramp and, historically, some of the most difficult to electrify due to their power demands and intensive duty cycles.
Swissport said the operation was conducted under normal working conditions, rather than as a controlled demonstration.
Maintaining punctuality and meeting safety requirements were treated as non-negotiable, underscoring that the exercise was intended to demonstrate operational viability, not just technical feasibility.
Why ground handling matters in aviation decarbonisation
While aircraft engines account for the majority of aviation’s carbon emissions, ground operations play a significant role in local air quality and airport-level emissions.
Diesel-powered GSE operates in close proximity to terminals, passengers and staff, often running continuously during peak periods.
Photo: Swissport
Ground handling is also one of the few areas where emissions reductions can be achieved relatively quickly, without waiting for new aircraft types or fuels to enter service. Electric GSE technology is already mature for many applications, but adoption has often been piecemeal, with electric vehicles operating alongside legacy diesel fleets.
What makes the Geneva turnaround notable is that it demonstrates how those individual conversions can be brought together into a fully electric, end-to-end workflow.
Geneva Airport as a proving ground for ground handling electrification
Swissport’s Geneva operation is already one of its most advanced in terms of electrification. More than 60 per cent of the company’s GSE fleet at the airport is now electric.
All baggage tractors are battery-powered, while more than half of belt loaders, ground power units, passenger boarding stairs and light vehicles have also been converted.
Photo: Swissport
Since 2024, Swissport has invested more than CHF 3 million ($3.9m) in electric ground equipment at Geneva alone. Those investments span fleet renewal, charging infrastructure and the operational adjustments required to support electric vehicles in daily use.
Geneva’s size and traffic mix make it a useful test case. The airport handles a combination of short-haul European services, business aviation and seasonal peaks, creating a demanding environment for ground operations without the scale advantages of a major hub.
Swissport’s incremental strategy for electric ground handling
Bruno Stefani, Swissport’s chief executive for Switzerland, Italy and France, said the electric turnaround reflects the company’s broader strategy of decarbonising ground handling through close cooperation with airlines and airport partners.
Rather than replacing entire fleets overnight, Swissport has focused on step-by-step conversions, targeting equipment categories where electric alternatives can deliver immediate emissions reductions without disrupting operations. Each conversion, Stefani said, contributes to lower emissions while supporting efficiency and reliability.
Photo: Swissport
That approach also spreads capital costs over time, an important consideration for ground handlers operating on tight margins and under pressure from rising energy and labour costs.
Swissport’s global push for electric ground handling
The Geneva turnaround sits within a much wider global effort. Across Swissport’s worldwide operations, 26 per cent of its approximately 14,600 motorised units are now electric. The company aims to raise that share to 55 per cent by 2032.
These goals form part of Swissport’s longer-term commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Its emissions reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, aligning them with pathways consistent with the Paris Agreement.
Photo: Swissport
Swissport has also received the EcoVadis Platinum sustainability rating for two consecutive years, placing it among the top one per cent of companies assessed globally. While such ratings do not measure operational performance directly, they reflect how sustainability is embedded into corporate governance and investment decisions.
What electric aircraft turnarounds mean for the wider aviation industry
Electric ground handling is not new, but full end-to-end electric turnarounds remain rare. Challenges persist, particularly at larger airports with round-the-clock operations, longer towing distances and higher equipment utilisation rates.
Charging infrastructure, grid capacity and battery management remain constraints, especially during peak periods when multiple aircraft are on the ground simultaneously. Cold-weather performance and battery longevity also continue to influence fleet planning decisions.
However, the Geneva operation shows that these challenges are becoming manageable, at least for certain airport profiles. As electric GSE technology improves and charging systems become more sophisticated, the threshold for full electrification is likely to expand.
A quiet shift toward electric operations on the ramp
The significance of Swissport’s Geneva milestone lies less in symbolism and more in practicality. Aircraft turnarounds are among the most time-critical activities in aviation, and ground handlers are judged first on reliability, not sustainability.
By completing a routine commercial turnaround using only electric equipment, Swissport has shown that decarbonisation on the ramp does not have to come at the expense of performance.
For airports and airlines under increasing pressure to cut emissions beyond flight operations, that is a quietly important signal.
Featured image: Swissport
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