El Al to install all-electric nose-gear drive on 737s

摘要

Israeli flag-carrier El Al is to become an initial customer for an electric nose-gear drive system, designed to enable aircraft to taxi without the use of engines. El Al has signed a letter of intent under which it will "obtain a substantial part of the initial production" of the WheelTug drive systems, said WheelTug. The Israeli carrier will install the equipment on modern-variant Boeing 737 aircraft, the type on which early development of the system has concentrated. El Al already operates 737-700s and -800s and, earlier this year, firmed an order for four -900ERs.