Milestone demonstration performed on an Airbus A350-900, powered by TLD’s electric TPX-200-MTX-E towbarless tractor and a custom wireless remote-control panel

Paris – Hong-Kong – September 8^th 2026

With the support of Airport Authority Hong Kong, and the facilitation of the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, Cathay Pacific, and HAECO, TLD has successfully demonstrated at Hong Kong International Airport the world’s first wide-body aircraft pushback operation using its electric towbarless aircraft pushback tractor, remotely operated by an on-ground operator through a custom-designed portable wireless remote-control panel.

Based on the advanced electric TPX-200-MTX-E, the wireless remote-control panel and operational procedures were developed with input from industry partners. The TPX-200-MTX-E marks a turning point for airport operations, uniting performance, safety and sustainability in one future-ready tractor, from battery-electric to hydrogen. At its core, a direct electric driveline with two wheel-hub motors delivers power directly to the wheels, avoiding the heat and energy losses of conventional hydraulic transmissions. Built for pushback, repositioning and towing across narrow- to wide-body aircraft, it combines direct-drive efficiency, battery power, anti-jackknife safety and automated loading.

The pushback operations, performed on an Airbus A350-900 in a live airside environment, validated the capabilities of remote-controlled towbarless pushback operations and demonstrated the benefits of applying this technology to both wide-body and narrow-body aircraft. This breakthrough enhances operational flexibility while strengthening ramp safety through improved situational awareness and safer operator positioning.

This milestone reflects TLD’s close collaboration with its valued industry partners and its commitment to innovation and the development of safe, efficient, and future-ready solutions for the aviation industry. Next steps will include testing and deployment of off-site remote-controlled pushback operations from a control room, paving the way for more autonomous pushback operations in the future.

About TLD
Part of the ALVEST Group, TLD has been specializing for over 70 years in the design, manufacturing, sales, and after-sales services of aircraft Ground Support Equipment (GSE).

As the global GSE leader, TLD boasts a global workforce of 2,200 employees including 230 R&D engineers, thriving on a foundation of strong values and ethics.

TLD provides a complete range of solutions to lead the green transition and meet the challenges of ramp electrification and automation.

In its 10 factories worldwide, the company manufactures a wide range of products from cargo loaders to aircraft pushback tractors, through ground power units, air conditioning units and passenger stairs.

TLD is ISO 14001 and 9001 certified.

On any given year, TLD products get typically commissioned throughout 150+ countries. TLD’s field service team is distributed across our global network of 45 local offices to 1300 customers.

The TLD teams are fully committed to a bold ESG roadmap. Today, over 50% of TLD GSE production is electric GSE. TLD also leads the way to introduce autonomous GSE and ADAS technologies into airports.