Tugs versus aircraft engines: a ground handling question
A possibly naive question: Since aircraft jet engines are fuel guzzlers and terribly expensive to idle away on the ground is it an option to use ground tugs all the way till the runway on departure?
I'm not sure what the economics are but I guess it is a question whether the capital investment in a tug is worth the fuel saved while idling? Besides the lower fuel consumption I suppose tugs are more amenable to a stop-start operation if the conditions so demand.
Technically though, present-day tugs seem maneuverable and powerful enough, for this op. right? Maybe the top speed would be too low? Any other problems?
Or maybe this option has already been tried before....