One of Gloucestershire's biggest employers has announced a major agreement with the Chinese for electric taxiing systems for aircraft.

French-owned Safran Landing Systems, which employs 940 people in Gloucestershire, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Aviation Energy and Emissions Solutions (CAEES).

The company is a subsidiary of China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS) specializing in energy and environmental technologies for the aviation sector.

They will jointly promote electric taxiing solutions in China.

Safran Landing Systems is developing an electric taxiing system that will enable commercial airplanes to taxi without having to use their own jet engines or a tractor, thanks to electric motors installed in the wheels on the main landing gear, and powered by the airplane's own auxiliary power unit (APU).

This type of system offers savings on fuel costs of up to four per cent per year, while also significantly reducing emissions of carbon and nitrogen oxides.

As part of the agreement, the two partners will present this technology to Chinese airlines and work with them to evaluate the expected profits. CAEES will provide support to analyze practices relating to ground operations and the associated regulations applied by Chinese airports.

This agreement will also enable the partners to evaluate the expected environmental gains.

"The boom in Chinese air traffic has resulted in strong demand for airplane operations, including quick turnarounds, more taxiing, greater airport congestion and increased carbon emissions," said Mr Zhang Xiaoshi, managing director of CAEES. "That's why we want to carefully evaluate the expected benefits of electric taxiing for Chinese airlines."

Vincent Mascré, CEO of Safran Landing Systems said: "We are very proud to announce this strategic partnership with CAEES, which will facilitate our discussions with and access to the different players in the Chinese aviation industry.

"Being more familiar with their expectations will help us refine our system's capabilities in order for us to offer a product that meets operational requirements in this part of the world."

Safran Landing Systems is a world leader in aircraft landing and braking systems. As a partner to 30 major commercial, military, business and regional aircraft manufacturers, the company supports more than 27,000 aircraft making over 54,000 landings a day