JAL’s subsidiary Hokkaido Air System announced that on March 6, 2024, it put battery-powered tow trucks and and ground power unit (GPU) into service at its hub, Sapporo Okadama Airport, replacing conventional diesel equipment.
The tow trucks were manufactured by Toyota’s subsidiary Toyota L&F and are equipped with roof due to Hokkaido’s harsh weather. The GPU is “7400 eGPU” manufactured by Denmark’s ITW GSE and imported by Tamagawa Aero Systems.
This is the first time for such battery-powered ground equipment to be used in Hokkaido. It is not clear what Hokkaido Air System’s plans are in terms of adding such equipment to the other airports it serves. The airline uses four ATR 42s, primarily on routes from Sapporo Okadama to other airports in Hokkaido.
Fuji Dream Airlines recently started using a battery-powered GPU at its Nagoya Komaki base too.
