How Amsterdam Airport Schiphol improves efficiency and sustainability with ECHO Robotics®
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Europe's third largest airport, with 6 runways and over 60 million passengers a year, faces a unique challenge: maintaining the 11 km² of grass around its runways without harming operations or the environment. Traditional mowing solutions have limitations, including disruption to flight operations, excessive grass height and a significant environmental footprint. To meet these challenges, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol turned to advanced robotic mowers from ECHO Robotics®.
The ECHO Robotics® Solution
In 2022, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol began using two solar-powered ECHO Robotics® mowers to evaluate their efficiency and adaptability. These robots, parked at solar charging hubs, were tasked with automated mowing maintenance to see how effectively they met the airport's needs. Following the success of the initial trial, Schiphol introduced a third robot in 2024.
Results: sustainable and safe vegetation management
The benefits of using ECHO Robotics®' robot mowers at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol have been considerable:
- Uninterrupted operations:The robot mowers operate without the need to close runways, allowing air traffic to proceed uninterrupted.
- Carbon footprint reduction: Solar-powered robots contribute to Schiphol's sustainability goals by reducing emissions compared with traditional fuel-powered mowers.
- Optimum grass height: The robots maintain ideal grass height even in adverse weather conditions, such as rain or limited visibility.
- Better bird management: By keeping the grass shorter, the visibility of bird patrol crews is improved, reducing the risk of collision between birds and aircraft.
- Reduced nesting: Research carried out by Dokkadeltaet Våtmarkssenter AS at Norway's Stavanger airport showed that birds stopped nesting in areas maintained by robotic mowers, an effect that could also benefit Schiphol.
- Increased safety: Automated mowing minimizes the need for human intervention, thus reducing risks for staff near runways in use. Conclusion The adoption of robotic mowers from ECHO Robotics® marks the start of a strategic shift for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol towards safer, greener and more efficient grounds maintenance. As testing continues, the airport aims to extend this innovative solution to optimize its grounds maintenance from 2026, setting a new standard for sustainable airport management.
Conclusion
The adoption of robotic mowers from ECHO Robotics® marks the start of a strategic shift for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, towards safer, greener and more efficient grounds maintenance. As testing continues, the airport aims to extend this innovative solution to optimize its grounds maintenance from 2026, setting a new standard for sustainable airport management.