Air transport ground handling operations
Manufacture, repair, maintenance, overhaul, retrofitting, design, repurposing and upgrade, purchase, financing, renting, leasing and operation of equipment and service activities incidental to air transportation (ground handling), including ground services activities at airports and cargo handling, including loading and unloading of goods from aircraft.
The economic activity includes:
- vehicles for aircraft marshalling and other services within the apron;
- equipment for passenger boarding, including passenger shuttles, mobile steps;
- equipment for baggage and freight handling including belt loaders, baggage tractors, airport pallet trucks lower deck loaders, main deck loaders;
- equipment for catering including cool container dollies, excluding equipment with refrigeration units powered by an internal combustion engine;
- maintenance equipment including maintenance stands and platforms;
- pushback tugs;
- de-icing equipment for aircraft and engine de-icing;
- snow ploughs and other snow clearance and surface de-icing equipment;
- non-autonomous taxiing.
The economic activity does not include vehicles for transport of passengers and crew and for aircraft refuelling used within the airport covered in Sections 3.3., 6.3. and 6.6 of the applicable Delegated Act.
The economic activities in this category could be associated with several NACE codes, in particular H52.23, H52.24, H52.29 in accordance with the statistical classification of economic activities established by Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006.
Substantial contribution
This activity can make a substantial contribution to the following objective(s). The activity must also pass DNSH assessment against the remaining five objectives.
✓ Climate mitigation
Ground handling vehicles’ direct (tailpipe) CO2 emissions are zero. The propulsion of all ground handling devices and equipment comes from a zero-emissions motor.
Do No Significant Harm criteria
To be taxonomy-aligned, this activity must not significantly harm any of the five objectives it does not substantially contribute to.
Climate change adaptation
The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix A of the applicable Delegated Act.
Water and marine resources
The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix B of the applicable Delegated Act. With regard to de-icing activities, measures are in place to ensure the necessary discharge controls at airport level, to reduce the environmental impact on watercourses, including through use of more environmentally sustainable chemicals, glycol recovery and surface water treatment.
Circular economy
Measures are in place to prevent generation of waste in the use phase (maintenance, operation of transport services with regards to catering waste) and to manage any remaining waste in accordance with the waste hierarchy.Measures are in place to manage and recycle waste at the end-of life, including through decommissioning contractual agreements with recycling service providers, reflection in financial projections or official project documentation. These measures ensure that components and materials are segregated and treated to maximise recycling and reuse in accordance with the waste hierarchy, EU waste regulation principles and applicable regulations, in particular through the reuse and recycling of batteries and electronics and the critical raw materials therein. These measures also include the control and management of hazardous materials.
Documentation typically required
- Decommissioning contractual agreements with recycling service providers — To ensure end-of-life waste management and recycling in accordance with waste hierarchy and EU regulations
- Financial projections or official project documentation — To reflect waste management measures and costs, including segregation and treatment of components and materials
Pollution prevention and control
The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix C of the applicable Delegated Act.
Biodiversity and ecosystems
N/A
Criteria sourced from the EU Taxonomy Navigator. Applicable act: Climate Delegated Act (OJ L 442, 9.12.2021). Last verified: 19 July 2026.
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