Aircraft taxiing with external electric towing could significantly reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from ground operations. We develop a discrete event simulation and cost model to investigate taxiway congestion and develop a comprehensive equivalent annual cost (EAC) estimate from using electric towing tractors (e-tractors). The model incorporates collision and conflict avoidance and towing service interruptions. Experiments identify the number of e-tractors generating the lowest EAC. A case study considers three electric taxi scenarios at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport. Our findings suggest significant potential for reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions with limited impact on taxi time when e-tractor capacity is aligned with demand. However, high uncertainty prevents definitive conclusions about cost effectiveness. The modeling approach can be updated based on ongoing field test data and input from airlines, airports, and handling agents and used to test novel taxi strategies, develop e-tractor implementation plans, and inform the capital budgeting process.

使用外部电动牵引滑行的飞机可以显着减少地面运营中的二氧化碳 (CO ₂ ) 排放。我们开发了一个离散事件模拟和成本模型来调查滑行道拥堵，并通过使用电动牵引车 (e-tractors) 进行综合等效年成本 (EAC) 估算。该模型结合了碰撞和冲突避免以及牵引服务中断。实验确定了产生最低 EAC 的电子拖拉机的数量。案例研究考虑了蒙特利尔特鲁多国际机场的三种电动出租车场景。我们的研究结果表明，在减少燃料消耗和 CO _{2 方面}具有巨大潜力当电动拖拉机容量与需求保持一致时，排放对滑行时间的影响有限。然而，高度的不确定性阻碍了关于成本效益的明确结论。建模方法可以根据正在进行的现场测试数据和来自航空公司、机场和处理代理的输入进行更新，并用于测试新的出租车策略、制定电动拖拉机实施计划并为资本预算过程提供信息。