As we near the halfway point of a crucial decade for aviation net-zero efforts, airports and airlines are widening the scope of their sustainability adoptions. Alongside renewable energy production and efficiency boosting tech integrations, airports are turning to a broader range of materials and methods to increase their environmental sustainability.
Is Net-zero flying by 2050 possible? 2030 will be a key indicator
IATA continues to carefully monitor progress on milestones leading towards the aviation industry’s overall net-zero carbon emissions target year of 2050. The organisation has repeatedly insisted that a holistic approach is necessary to make this a reality; every stakeholder from every aviation sector across the world needs to be working in harmony to design and deliver the necessary infrastructure and operations for a net-zero industry. Increasingly, more attention is being paid to the materials and operational support elements that make flying possible. From green construction techniques in airports, to the accelerating adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), every angle of this industry is coming under scrutiny for ‘greenification’ efforts.
Regarding SAF, IATA’s latest research claims it can reduce the CO2 emissions of flights by up to 80%, though adoption levels in 2023 were low – only 300 million litres of SAF were produced, fuelling 490,000 flights that year. This is only around 1.3% of the 37 million aircraft movements that occurred in 2023. However, by 2030, IATA expects annual production levels to jump to 23 billion litres, enabling a 5% drop in industry-wide emissions. By 2050, annual production of 449 billion litres of SAF could lead to a 65% contribution to the industry’s net-zero efforts.
Ensuring that SAF is on the right path will require constant support and direction from above. Earlier this year we saw a preview of the 2030 Sustainable Aviation Goals – a product of the COP28 Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum. One of its key goals is to prepare and rollout global policies by 2030 to properly regulate the quantity and quality of feedstocks, biomass, and hydrogen required to scale SAF.
Exemplar airports Going Green
Stansted Airport London (STN): Last month saw leisure airline Jet2 sign an agreement with STN leadership to use SAF for its flights departing from this airport. The airline recently bought 650 tons of SAF from Shell Aviation, and will initially use a 1% SAF blend as a starting point for its transition efforts. This is part of STN’s wider commitments to support the industry’s net-zero goals, which includes financial incentives in charging arrangements, to encourage airlines to adopt SAF faster.
Singapore Changi Airport (SIN): Changi is renowned for being one of the most luxurious but also forward-thinking airports in the world. Sustainability efforts feature in every part of its operations and the recent construction of a new retail store for luxury jeweller Tiffany’s demonstrates how recycling doesn’t take the shine off the retailing experience. This store features a vibrant 3D-printed coral-inspired façade made from discarded fishing nets and recycled plastic recovered from the ocean.
Helsinki Airport (HEL): Finavia runs 16 of Finland’s 27 airports, including the country’s largest, Helsinki. The Finnish winter is long; it generally starts in October and can stick around until late April. Ice is therefore a regular obstacle to flights landing and taking off safely. HEL, alongside all other Finavia-run airports, uses a specially engineered de-icer to keep runways and taxiways operable but with minimal environmental impact. This de-icer, Clearway, is biodegradable and its low aquatic toxicity means it doesn’t pollute surface water and organisms living within it.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS): Two prominent electronics retailers in AMS’s plaza lounges, Capi and Renewd signed a collaboration agreement this month to promote greater sustainability and the circular economy in airport retail. Customers can now trade in their old smartphones at Capi, which will undergo Renewd’s quality control process before being sold as certified pre-owned devices. This extends the phones’ lifetime while encouraging consumers to participate in the circular economy. This is a prime example of how to achieve consumer buy-in and active participation in scalable sustainability measures.
Going green at every opportunity – Materials and methods for a net-zero future
The widening range and scale of sustainable materials making it into airport design, construction and operations indicates how important it is for the industry’s overall sustainability efforts to accelerate.
Airport and airline owners around the world fully understand that they are in the spotlight, as both governments and ordinary consumers are looking on with increasing scrutiny into their plans to make flying more environmentally friendly. This is an industry-wide effort, one that requires solutions providers like Saudi Airport Exhibition Exhibitor Collins Aerospace to work hand-in-glove with airports and airlines to reduce their emissions and wider ecological footprint. Collins Aerospace is currently developing 9 separate clean aviation projects involving sustainable aviation technologies, while investing $3 billion in R&D to further refine its sustainability offerings.
