Salvador Bahia retains status as Brazil’s most sustainable airport

For the second running, Salvador Bahia Airport has been named as Brazil’s most sustainable airport by the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac).

The airport, which is part of the VINCI Airports group, achieved the highest score in its size category in the Sustainable Airports Award.

Salvador Bahia Airport also obtained the highest score among all categories, reaching a score of 89.96%, based on the fulfilment of certain criteria established by Anac.

Its highest scores were obtained in: climate change management, electricity management, local air quality management and water management.  

“This achievement was only possible because we have environmental preservation at the core of our business strategy,” enthused the airport’s technical director, Yann Le Bihan.

“Transiting to sustainable aviation is a common dynamic for all airports in the VINCI Airports network.”

Since the beginning of the concession, in January 2018, Salvador Bahia Airport has stood out for its environmental actions. It was, for example, the first in Brazil to install a solar power plant; cease using landfills to dispose of solid waste; and to adopt a zero effluent policy.

It has also been granted the ‘Green Airport’ seal of approval from ACI-Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC).

As a result of its group wide environmental policy, VINCI Airports notes that it has set ambitious goals for all its airports and deploys concrete solutions such as a pledge to reduce their carbon footprints and reduce the waste of drinking water by 50%. 

For its part, Salvador Bahia Airport says that its team will keep innovating and make advancements in green projects.

An example is an initiative that reuses condensed water from the air conditioning system. The project, which went into operation in 2021, will allow the airport to save more than 15,000m³ of water per year.

“Our team is always looking for opportunities to improve our environmental performance”, added Yann Le Bihan.