Syed Askari Muslim

Syed, a BSc mechanical engineer and MSc engineering manager, is a certified maintenance and reliability professional (CMRP). Since 2016, he has worked at Pakistan Airports Authority, overseeing operations and maintenance at Islamabad International Airport, the country’s largest. His responsibilities include PBBs, GPUs, PCA units, AVDGS, elevators, escalators, and walkways. Beyond work, Syed enjoys staying active by playing tennis and hiking on weekends, combining his professional expertise with a passion for recreation.

---

Decarbonization of airports by electrifying GSE fleets

Aircraft ground handling operations make a significant contribution to airport- and aviation-related emissions. Substituting the use of APU by way of introducing gate GPUs and PCA units followed by regulation discouraging the use of APU on the ground has tremendous potential for reducing overall emissions, especially for small and regional airports that haven't made this transition yet. On the other hand, major international airports that have already made this transition have the majority of their GSE fleets powered by internal combustion engines. For such airports, electrification of GSE fleets is the next step toward sustainability.

The audience will learn:

• Emissions during aircraft ground handling are often underestimated and consequently the potential therein for reducing overall emissions is often overlooked
• Many small airports haven't grabbed the low-hanging fruit of substituting APU with GPU and PCA units for reducing emissions
• While larger airports have regulated APU, their GSE fleets are largely IC engine powered and contribute significantly to airport emissions
• Electrification of GSE holds great potential in reducing the overall airport emissions and thus making aviation more sustainable
• A potent strategy is to electrify GPU and PCA units as a top priority, followed by other GSE