Abstract
This paper documents a case study of an automated mower to support sustainability at an airport. Mowing is an essential component of an airport’s Wildlife Hazard Management Plan (WHMP), which reduces the risk of birds and other wildlife to aircraft operations. Many airports have large areas of land (hundreds or even thousands of acres), which requires significant resources to manage and mow; experience at the Purdue Airport (KLAF) suggests that automated mowing may support economic and environmental aspects of sustainability. Automated mowing supports economic efficiency by reducing personnel requirements, although personnel are still needed for inspections, maintenance, and “mower rescue” if there is a malfunction (technical or field issue). Automated mowing supports environmental impacts by reducing local emissions since the mower is powered by electricity rather than gasoline; this benefit would be increased with the use of solar-powered mowers. Automated mowing may not be viable everywhere, and factors such as terrain, access to available power, acreage, and location on the airfield (including proximity to protected areas) must be carefully considered. Although automated mowing will not completely replace traditional mowing in the near future, autonomous mowers in remote areas may be an appropriate practice to support airport sustainability.
Highlights
Airport operators of all sizes are focused on controlling costs and increasing efficiency, and they are increasingly mindful of the environmental impact of their activities, especially given campaigns such as Sweden’s Flagskam, an anti-flying movement that supports train travel and flight shaming in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and harm to the environment
There are a number of sustainability metrics that have been used at airports, including
The results of the case study illustrate that an automated mower can be successfully The results the case illustrate that an automated mowertocan be successful implemented at anof airport andstudy that conventional mowers can be replaced eliminate emissions, if power is available and ifthat the conventional site to be mowed is compatible the mowimplemented at an airport and mowers can bewith replaced to elimina ing capabilities
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Sustainability is increasingly important at all facilities, including airports, which strive to provide a positive experience, meet the needs of passengers and aeronautical users, support their communities, and do so within the context of a sustainable framework that considers economic, environmental and social impacts. Airport operators of all sizes are focused on controlling costs and increasing efficiency, and they are increasingly mindful of the environmental impact of their activities, especially given campaigns such as Sweden’s Flagskam, an anti-flying movement that supports train travel and flight shaming in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and harm to the environment. There are a number of sustainability metrics that have been used at airports, including
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