August 20, 2025
Munich Airport, along with its ground handling subsidiary AeroGround, has officially launched a new electric bus depot. The event was attended by Ulrich Lange, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, Munich Airport CEO Jost Lammers, and AeroGround Managing Director David Konradi, along with representatives from NOW GmbH and MAN Truck & Bus. The opening of this new charging facility is another significant step towards achieving zero-emission operations on the airport apron.
Located on the southern part of the airport, the depot currently features 37 charging stations for battery-electric passenger transport vehicles. An additional 13 charging points are scheduled to go online end of summer 2025 as part of the next construction phase. A third expansion stage is planned within the next two years, which will include 22 more chargers and carports equipped with photovoltaic systems.
“With this new depot, we’re building the necessary infrastructure for fully electrified ground operations on the aprons,” says Lammers. “Half of our current ground fleet already runs on battery power. This project is another big step forward for our ‘Net Zero 2035’ strategy, bringing us closer to operating as a carbon-neutral airport.”
Ulrich Lange says: “By subsidizing 72 electric buses and the associated charging infrastructure, we are providing Munich Airport with targeted support to modernize its bus fleet. This sends a clear signal for progressive mobility, both for domestic and international guests. This investment demonstrates that innovative technologies are advancing beyond theory and being implemented in the daily operations of one of Europe's largest airports."
The “Net Zero 2035” sustainability strategy aims to ensure that Munich Airport's operations leave no CO₂ footprint by 2035 at the latest. Thanks to its eBus fleet, Munich Airport currently saves more than 2,000 tons of CO₂ annually. Once the full transition to electric vehicles is complete, this figure is expected to rise to over 4,000 tons per year.
As of May 2025, AeroGround operates 37 zero-emission transport units for apron passenger services, consisting of 20 standard-length and 17 articulated buses. An additional 18 vehicles will join the fleet by year’s end. The long-term target is to expand to up to 72 vehicles, in line with operational needs and charging capacity.
Beyond passenger shuttles, AeroGround is steadily converting all ground handling equipment to alternative powertrains. In 2024 alone, 173 new zero-emission vehicles were introduced, including transporters, conveyor belts, stairs, lift trucks and passenger cars.
The project is funded under the ‘Guideline for the promotion of alternative drives for buses in passenger transport’ with a total of 23,8 million euros by the Federal Ministry for Transport (BMV). Funding for this measure is also provided under the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facilities (ARF) in the NextGeneration EU program. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).
