ENVIRONMENT

Frankfurt Airport operator, Fraport AG, is embarking on another photovoltaic (PV) project at the gateway to increase its proportion of green energy. It has installed a demonstration system of 20 PV panels with an output of 8.4 kilowatts at the southwestern end of Runway 18 West and plans to extend the triple-array PV system along […]

San Antonio International Airport (SAT) has renewed its Level 1 accreditation for Carbon Mapping and Stinson Municipal Airport achieved Level 1 status for the first time in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.  “Through teamwork, we successfully achieved this goal,” said San Antonio International Airport’s noise abatement and special projects manager, Joshua Heiss. “Airport Carbon Accreditation […]

It is claimed that a Green Freeport in the North East of Scotland could play a significant role in decarbonising the aviation industry by delivering a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant that would create up to 920 jobs and £133 million in GVA per year. The creation of a SAF facility at St Fergus is […]

As part of its commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030, Perth Airport has partnered with Carbon Neutral to offset its bus fleets as well as offering motorists the opportunity to offset their trip to and from the airport when booking parking online. Perth Airport CEO, Kevin Brown, said that Perth Airport has committed to […]

The Federal Aviation Administration and US airports have launched an Airport Climate Challenge to help achieve the Biden-Harris Administration goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Airports can take advantage of several FAA funding programmes to meet this goal, including grants for low- or zero-emissions vehicles, renewable energy production, energy assessments and other efforts. The challenge […]

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) today unveiled its roadmap to net zero carbon emissions, which it claims balances innovative approaches with practical actions that will see the gateway’s operations become net zero by 2030. Earlier this year, YVR was the first airport in Canada to commit to net zero emissions by 2030, accelerating its original climate commitment […]

New analysis outlines credible paths for the air transport sector to reach its updated long-term climate goal to hit net-zero carbon emissions in 2050. A combination of new technology, improvements in operations and infrastructure and a shift to sustainable aviation fuels can help get the sector close to decarbonisation in 2050, with residual emissions being […]

Edinburgh Airport today published its new sustainability strategy, which includes plans to build an eleven-acre solar farm on the airfield. The announcement and strategy comes on the same day as the airport confirms carbon neutral status for emissions under its direct control, demonstrating its commitment to a more sustainable future. The solar farm, the first […]

The UK’s leading airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers and air service navigation providers today reaffirmed their joint commitment to a net zero future for UK aviation, setting out a first set of interim decarbonisation targets that will act as milestones on the path to net zero aviation by 2050. Industry is targeting at least an overall […]

Milas-Bodrum in Turkey has become the sixth gateway in TAV Airports’ global portfolio to receive Airport Carbon Accreditation certification, the only institutionally-endorsed, global carbon management programme for airports. The self titled gateway to the Turkish Riviera has obtained Level 1 ‘Mapping’ certification in the ACI Europe launched programme. Milas-Bodrum Airport’s general manager, Iclal Kayaoglu, said: […]

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Austin Energy are celebrating the completion of a new solar panel array constructed on the airport campus that will produce 1.8 megawatts of locally-generated, renewable energy. The new solar array marks a milestone in both Austin Energy’s Community Solar Program and the Texas gateway’s portfolio of sustainability efforts. The array will […]

The small regional airport of Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region of Central France has become the first airport in country to offer sustainable biofuel to its airlines. The VINCI Airports operated gateway began offering the Air bp manufactured biofuel produced from food oil yesterday, and notes that Michelin Air Services is its first customer. […]

Doha’s Hamad International Airport has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) to improve its waste management. As a result, the airport (DOH) says that it will develop and modernise its facilities by implementing new, more effective methods of waste management. The MoU outlines the collaboration between MATAR […]

Each year airlines begin new sustainability initiatives, experiment with biofuels, and offset their carbon emissions on selected flights; yet, sustainability should not only be a topic of discussion when an aircraft is in the air but also when it’s on the ground. In just one year, a Boeing 777, B787, Airbus A330, and A350, burn […]

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has announced the expansion of its industry-leading plastic-free policy to prohibit the sale of any beverages in plastic bottles. In August 2019, SFO became the first airport in the world to prohibit the provision or sale of single-use water bottles in plastic or aseptic paper packaging. This policy has now […]

ACI Europe has welcomed Swedavia’s announcement that all ten of its Swedish airports have achieved Net Zero CO2 emissions across all operations under their control – a world first. Swedavia thus also becomes the first company to deliver on the European airport industry pledge to become Net Zero by 2050 at the latest. Marking the […]

Oslo Airport has welcomed a new electrically operated de-icing unit, the Vestergaard Elephant e-BETA, for the final few weeks of winter. In a first of its kind trial in Europe, the airport believes that the Menzies Aviation operated vehicle will improve the performance of its aircraft de-icing operation and lower its carbon footprint. Indeed, initial tests […]

Finnish airport operator, Finavia, and Napapiirin Energia ja Vesi (Neve) have entered into an agreement on the heating of Rovaniemi Airport with carbon-neutral district heating. “Our objective is to achieve zero net emissions in 2030, and we continue on our journey towards emissions-free airports,” enthuses Finavia’s senior vice president for infrastructure, sustainability, safety and compliance, […]

Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) in the UK is set to become the first regional gateway in the country to have its own hydrogen refuelling station which it will use to power its fleet of ground support vehicles. ITM Power, the largest operator of Hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK, is partnering with Leeds Bradford on […]

Rotterdam The Hague Airport, SkyNRG and Climeworks claim that they are taking the next step in realising Zenid – a demonstration plant producing fully circular sustainable aviation fuel directly from air. Global energy company Uniper has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support Zenid with engineering and operating expertise. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from […]

US firm Surfacedesign has won an award for its landscape architecture and urban planning for Auckland International Airport in New Zealand. “Because 75% of New Zealand’s visitors land in Auckland, airport management wanted to highlight the country’s historic land-use practices at and around the terminal,” says the San Francisco based company’s co-founding partner and Auckland […]

Cambodia’s three international airports have once again demonstrated their green credentials by upgrading their status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme to Level 2 – Reduction. Launched in 2009, the independently administered and verified programme has four levels of certification – Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality, the latter being the ultimate goal for Phnom Penh, […]

Washington DC airport operator, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, is implementing a new sustainability plan designed to improve its facilities environmentally, operationally and financially. Developed in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, it reveals that the plan is the result of a year long effort to interview stakeholders and analyse operations at Washington National, […]

Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton have become the first airports in the UK to trial a new Oxo-Biodegradable 100ml security bag. All three are operated by AGS Airports Ltd, which believes that the new, free, bags will now remove more than two million single-use plastic bags each year across the group. The technology involved ensures the […]

Stockholm Aranda Airport has received a delivery of 210 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from fuel products supplier, Air bp. Purchased by Swedish airport operator, Swedavia, and its partners SOS Alarm, Systembolaget and the 2030 Secretariat, the fuel is part of an initiative to promote the large-scale production of SAF and its use as […]

A new 10 MW solar energy farm is taking shape at Melbourne Airport, which is set to produce enough clean energy to provide power to all four passenger terminals. The renewable solar farm will generate 16.8 GWh of electricity every year, which is almost 15% of the airport’s annual consumption needs. Once live in January […]

Aviation has many benefits for our world. Arguably, no other industry has done more globally to connect people, power economies, and enable progress than aviation. For each new generation thus far, aviation has opened new frontiers and created new opportunities for connecting people and ideas. Right now, the aviation industry is working to recover from […]

Munich Airport (MUC) has introduced a A CO2-neutral passenger bus with an innovative drive concept as it strives to reduce its carbon emissions and become an ACI NETZERO gateway by 2050. The bus has been fitted with a generator-electric drive, developed by Rohrbach-based start-up CM Fluids, that has allowed it to be converted so that […]

Anaerobic digestion can help airports become more environmentally friendly and reduce their carbon footprint, writes the World Biogas Association’s Jocelyne Bia. As countries prepare for a post COVID-19 recovery, aviation will resume, and the industry will once again be questioned about its impact on the environment and called upon to reduce its carbon footprint. Many […]

Frankfurt Airport is set to turn to wind power to provide the bulk of its electricity as part of its ongoing commitment to meeting its climate protection targets. Operator, Fraport AG, has revealed that it intends to agree upon an annual minimum purchase quantity with the operator of an offshore wind farm from no later […]

Airport World turns the spotlight on the green initiatives of three North American airports – Québec City Jean Lesage (YQB), San Diego (SAN) and Vancouver (YVR). YVR’s ambitious new Environmental Management Plan Vancouver International Airport’s 2020-2024 Environmental Management Plan (EMP) outlines the gateway’s commitment to become carbon neutral in 2020 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions […]

According to a new survey by the country’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), Salvador Bahia Airport is the most sustainable gateway in Brazil. Salvador Bahia, part of the VINCI Airports’ network of airports, has been recognised by ANAC for its waste management; energy efficiency; solid waste management; and efforts to protect local wildlife and flora […]

Amsterdam Schiphol and its partners have begun what it is calling a sustainable aircraft taxiing trial using a vehicle known as a ‘taxibot’. Belonging to Smart Airport Systems and one of only ten in the world, Schiphol’s taxibot is powered by a hybrid combination of electric and diesel engines that is expected to reduce airline […]

Karl Lyndon, global aviation sector leader at integrated engineering consultancy, BuroHappold, explores the growing focus on greening airport terminal buildings. The aviation sector has been attracting a lot of attention recently – and not all of it for the right reasons. The new trend of ‘flight shaming’ in a bid to discourage air travel and […]

Spotlight on LAX’s handling of aviation’s most eco-friendly commercial flight, Gatwick reducing its noise footprint and the recycling efforts of Detroit Metropolitan. LAX makes history on World Environment Day Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) claims to have welcomed the most eco-friendly commercial flight in aviation history on World Environment Day. Operator, Los Angeles World Airports […]

Air Transport Action Group’s executive director, Michael Gill, encourages airports to be more vocal in promoting their efforts to reduce their environmental footprint. The global aviation industry has one of the clearest and most wide-ranging climate action plans of any sector. By 2050, we aim to cut net CO2 emissions from our operations in flight […]