Airline passengers flying from Gatwick will have a cleaner, greener start to their journey following the award of a new coach contract.
BAA, owner of Gatwick airport recently awarded its airport coach contract to AirLinks, who purchased 13 new coaches powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), supplied by Calor Autogas, the UK’s leading supplier of vehicle LPG.
The new LPG buses are used to ferry passengers, airline crews and airport staff from car parks at Gatwick airport. The new fleet, which represents the largest single order of LPG buses in the UK to date, will be fuelled at a newly installed on-site Calor Autogas bulk storage facility. Consisting of two 12 tonne tanks, the site is the biggest back to base facility installed by Calor in the UK and will provide a central fuelling point to keep the fleet operational 24 hours a day.
In conjunction with this contract, BAA, Calor Autogas and leading sustainable development organisation Forum for the Future hosted an Alternative Fuel Forum at the Copthorne Effingham Park Hotel, on February 27.
Speaking at the Forum, Richard Everitt, group planning and compliance director for BAA, commented, “Not only is it essential that we develop our business in a more sustainable way, but we have a stewardship role and responsibility to encourage other companies, which operate at our airports, to do the same. We will continue to encourage airport fleet operators to adopt alternative technologies and will put support infrastructure in place to enable this to happen.”
Paul Oxford, Autogas sales development manager said, “With BAA promoting the use of LPG and AirLinks making the switch to LPG buses, the biggest winner is the environment, because LPG is a cleaner burning fuel.
“Passengers on the new buses will have a smoother quieter journey because unlike diesel, LPG engines don’t noticeably vibrate and are considerably quieter,” continued Paul.
As part of the supply contract Calor Autogas will maintain the fuelling site and monitor its usage, automatically topping up the tanks so they will never run out of fuel.
Steve Perks, director of engineering for Airlinks also commented, “We are always prepared to invest in alternative fuels with the support and commitment of our partner organisations. In this instance BAA Gatwick wanted the tender to be based on more environmentally friendly fuels and the new refuelling site made this possible.”
Held on February 27, the Alternative Fuels Conference was attended by companies operating at Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted airports. Designed to educate and promote the use of alternative fuels, delegates took part in workshops where the issues, challenges and solutions provided by alternative fuels were debated. In addition a range of vehicles powered by alternative fuels were available to view and test drive.
“The event was a great success. We were able to discuss the environmental and cost benefits of LPG to companies running and operating vehicle fleets at BAA’s south east airports. Having made contact with these key decision makers we were able to talk in-depth about the benefits of LPG and alternative fuel issues in general, ” said Paul Oxford.
“I was very pleased with the outcome of the workshops. We were able to tackle company specific issues, providing practical support, advice and expertise. Following the event, we are now exploring additional options for Calor Autogas use at Gatwick and BAA’s other airports. We believe that this is the way forward and predict that alternative fuels will play an ever increasing role in the future of airport operations throughout the UK,” added Paul.
As industry leader, calor has been supplying LPG for more than 70 years. With experienced staff and a commitment to building a national supply network, Calor can offer unrivalled expertise and support. From its Customer Support Centre in Warwick, Calor offers a wide range of services and technical advice for the whole of the LPG market, from Autogas to Marine Gas to home appliances.
For further information call Calor Autogas on 0800 992200
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