Aviation Sustainability and the Environment, CAPA 25-Nov-2021

This CAPA report features a summary of recent aviation sustainability and environment news, selected from the 300+ news alerts published daily by CAPA. For more information, please contact us.

CAAS and Airbus Sign MoU on sustainable aviation

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Airbus signed (18-Nov-2021) a MoU to collaborate on sustainable aviation.

The parties will study demand and production supply of alternative aviation fuels and how these may contribute to decarbonisation strategies.

They will explore opportunities for the research and development of disruptive technologies and enabling airport infrastructure.

CAAS and Airbus will also look into the economic conditions, regulatory environment and international policies and standards necessary to support sustainable aviation.

Their first project is a technical feasibility study of an airport hydrogen hub and the infrastructure requirements to support future hydrogen powered aircraft operations.

They will examine how these requirements can be planned and provisioned for in-airport development, whether upfront or in stages, to provide optionality as the technology is developed.

The study will commence in early 2022 and run for two years, with the outcome to inform policymaking, infrastructure planning and industry development. [more - original PR]

Original report: CAAS and Airbus Sign MOU on Sustainable Aviation

CAAS and Airbus Sign MOU on Sustainable Aviation

On 18 November 2021, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Airbus signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on sustainable aviation as international air travel recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The MOU was signed between Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS and Ms Sabine Klauke, Chief Technical Officer and Executive Committee Member of Airbus.

2 Under the CAAS-Airbus MOU on Sustainable Aviation, CAAS and Airbus will study the demand and production supply of alternative aviation fuels and how these may contribute to decarbonisation strategies, explore opportunities for the research and development of disruptive technologies and enabling airport infrastructure, and look into the economic conditions, regulatory environment and international policies and standards necessary to support sustainable aviation.

3 The first project CAAS and Airbus will launch under the MOU is a technical feasibility study of an airport hydrogen hub and the infrastructure requirements to support future hydrogen-powered aircraft operations. These include the production, storage and distribution of hydrogen, aircraft ground services, logistical equipment, and refuelling systems. The study will examine how these requirements can be planned and provisioned for in airport development, whether upfront or in stages to provide optionality as the technology is developed. The study will commence in early 2022 and run for two years. The outcome of the study will inform policymaking, infrastructure planning and industry development.

4 Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS said, "Decarbonisation is a key priority for international aviation. Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will not be a return to business-as-usual but an opportunity to rebuild an aviation sector that is more sustainable. It is not a question of whether but of how to make flying greener and developing concrete pathways to achieve that goal while ensuring that air travel is still accessible. Making sustainable aviation viable requires cross-sectoral collaboration to reinvent the entire eco-system and close partnership between the public and private sectors. The CAAS-Airbus collaboration serves as an important pathfinder to better understand the opportunities and challenges and to build new networks of stakeholders for a sustainable aviation sector."

5 "Airbus is committed to leading the decarbonisation of the aviation sector and aims to deliver the world's first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035," said Ms Sabine Klauke, Chief Technical Officer, Airbus. "The decarbonisation of our industry requires a combination of approaches, hydrogen being one of them, and will need unprecedented cross-sector collaboration to create the new aviation infrastructure ecosystem. We are therefore pleased to have CAAS as a partner, as we embark on this exciting journey."

Blue Islands announces carbon neutrality, introduces GBP1 Carbon Offset Contribution

Blue Islands announced (22-Nov-2021) through a partnership with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, all services will be carbon neutral from 01-Dec-2021.

Blue Islands CEO Rob Veron said: "By becoming carbon neutral, we are taking this vital first step in our journey towards our long term goal of fully replacing the technology that we use".

In addition to offsetting its carbon impact in the short term, Blue Islands is seeking to further reduce its impact through next-generation technologies as they evolve for commercial use and reducing its emissions as much as possible in the interim.

A longer term zero carbon target is the carrier's goal. Durrell's Rewild Carbon programme has four central pillars, including 'Revive ecosystems', 'Recover species', 'Reduce carbon' and 'Rebuild livelihoods', with 95% of all monies the programme receives going straight into nature.

From 22-Nov-2021, all seats booked to travel from 01-Dec-2021 will include a GBP1 Carbon Offset Contribution that will be put towards fully balancing the carbon impacts for every service. [more - original PR]

Original report: Blue Islands goes carbon neutral

A partnership with Durrell's Rewild Carbon programmeBLUE ISLANDS GOES CARBON NEUTRAL

Blue Islands is committed to every one of its flights being carbon neutral from 1 December 2021 through a new partnership with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. The local airline will balance the carbon impacts of delivering regional air connectivity, which is a vital part of island infrastructure.

Rob Veron, CEO Blue Islands said, "Connecting people, whether for our social wellbeing or economic prosperity, is an essential part of island life. We recognise that this necessity comes at a cost to our planet, for which we all need to take responsibility and part of this is ensuring our air services are as sustainable as possible. By becoming carbon neutral, we are taking this vital first step in our journey towards our long-term goal of fully replacing the technology that we use.

"With our heart in the Channel Islands, we're proud to partner with an organisation that has developed an accountable, transparent and scientific programme to fully balance our carbon impacts for every flight, and that is synonymous with Jersey."

In addition to offsetting its carbon impact in the short-term, Blue Islands is seeking to further reduce its impact through next-generation technologies as they evolve for commercial use and reducing its emissions as much as possible in the interim. A longer-term zero carbon target is the ultimate goal.

Durrell's Rewild Carbon programme has four central pillars: Revive ecosystems; Recover species; Reduce carbon; Rebuild livelihoods. 95% of all monies the programme receives goes straight to nature. The first project is in the Atlantic rainforest in Brazil. It is a holistic programme covering reforestation, as well as animal and human regeneration to create a sustainable ecosystem in a previously ravaged rainforest area.

From today, all seats booked to fly from 1 December 2021 will include a £1 Carbon Offset Contribution that will be put towards fully balancing the carbon impacts for every flight.

Dr Lesley Dickie, CEO Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust said, "We are delighted that Blue Islands has chosen to work with Durrell to manage its carbon emissions via Rewild Carbon. There is an urgent need to tackle both the climate and biodiversity crisis and we all need to take responsibility for reducing our carbon footprint and making sustainable choices.

"Rewild Carbon achieves so much more than removing carbon from the atmosphere -our project is also packed with biodiversity and community benefits that will protect both people and wildlife.

"Connectivity is a vital part of island life and Blue Islands' commitment to Rewild Carbon means that we will be able to accelerate our plans to connect forest fragments in the Atlantic Rainforest. We are looking forward to sharing updates with their customers on the growth of this forest and the wonderful wildlife that live there."

For more information on Rewild Carbon and Blue Islands' vital first step for a sustainable future, click here

Watch Rob Veron, CEO Blue Islands and Dr Lesley Dickie, CEO Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust explain Rewild Carbon and Blue Islands' vital first step on this journey...

Revive ecosystems - Recover species - Reduce carbon - Rebuild livelihoods

Southwest Airlines commits USD10m to Yale's Centre for Natural Carbon Capture

Southwest Airlines announced (23-Nov-2021) a USD10 million commitment to Yale University's Centre for Natural Carbon Capture, to research technological advancements and find new solutions to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions.

The pledge will also support research and educational efforts at the Yale School of the Environment to explore the current state of sustainability, strategy, policy, and economics.

Southwest Airlines VP supply chain management and environmental sustainability Stacy Malphurs stated: "We recognize the importance of supporting initiatives that take a holistic approach to de-carbonization in the long-term, which aligns with the U.S. government's goal for the aviation industry to be carbon neutral by 2050". [more - original PR]

Original report: Southwest Airlines Commits $10 Million To Yale University To Support Climate Change Initiatives

Southwest Airlines Commits $10 Million To Yale University To Support Climate Change Initiatives

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced a $10 million commitment to Yale University's Center for Natural Carbon Capture (YCNCC) to research technological advancements and find new solutions to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions. The pledge will also support research and educational efforts at the Yale School of the Environment to explore the current state of sustainability, strategy, policy, and economics, emphasizing trends related to the aviation industry and focusing on finding new ways to reduce atmospheric carbon.

"This innovative partnership gives Southwest® the opportunity to support the development of crucial science to combat climate change, including fostering innovative research aimed at informing and advancing efforts to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations," said Stacy Malphurs, Vice President of Supply Chain Management & Environmental Sustainability for Southwest Airlines. "We recognize the importance of supporting initiatives that take a holistic approach to de-carbonization in the long-term, which aligns with the U.S. government's goal for the aviation industry to be carbon neutral by 2050."

Established in March 2021 with initial funding from FedEx Corporation, and taking inspiration from natural processes, YCNCC is focused on strategies for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and safely storing it within plants, soils, rocks, and oceans. It also aims to develop methods for industrial carbon capture to convert carbon dioxide into useful fuels, plastics, and building materials.

"The climate crisis is the biggest challenge we face as a species," says Michael Crair, Vice Provost for research at Yale. "To find solutions, we will need the very best efforts of scientists and policy experts at Yale and around the world. It's a collaborative effort, and I am so grateful that Southwest Airlines has stepped forward to join our efforts in creating a sustainable future."

Sustainability is a priority for Southwest, and this pledge complements its initiatives to improve environmental stewardship across the airline. Last month, Southwest announced a 10-year plan to maintain carbon neutrality to 2019 levels while continuing to grow its operations and stated its long-term goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Southwest will fulfill its donation through the Southwest Airlines Foundation, a corporate-advised fund within the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Jewar Noida Airport 'will be India's first net zero emissions airport

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed (23-Nov-2021) plans to inaugurate the launch of works for the Jewar Noida International Airport development project on 25-Nov-2021.

The airport will be developed in four phases and will be equipped to accommodate up to 70 million passengers p/a once phase four works are completed.

It will feature the following:

• Dedicated cargo terminal;
• Multimodal ground transportation centre, equipped with car park, metro rail and high speed rail stations, bus terminals and taxi pick up and drop off lanes;
• MRO facilities;
• Swing aircraft stands, "providing flexibility for airlines to operate an aircraft for both domestic and international flights from the same contact stand, without having to re-position the aircraft";
• Jewar Noida "will be India's first net zero emissions airport". [more - original PR]

PM to lay the foundation stone of Noida International Airport on November 25

Uttar Pradesh is poised to become the only state in India to have five international airports, as Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh on 25 November, 2021 at 1 PM.

The development of the airport is in line with the vision of the Prime Minister towards boosting connectivity and creating a future-ready aviation sector. A special focus of this grand vision has been on the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) that is witnessing the development of multiple new international airports including the recently inaugurated Kushinagar airport and the under construction international airport at Ayodhya.

This airport will be the second international airport to come up in Delhi NCR. It will help decongest the IGI Airport. It is strategically located and will serve the people of cities including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Agra, Faridabad and neighbouring areas.

The airport will be the logistics gateway of northern India. Due to its scale and capacity, the airport will be a gamechanger for UP. It will unleash the potential of UP to the world, and help establish the state on the global logistics map. For the first time, an airport in India has been conceptualised with an integrated multi modal cargo hub, with a focus on reducing the total cost and time for logistics. The dedicated cargo terminal will have a capacity of 20 lakh metric tonne, which will be expanded to 80 lakh metric tonne. Through facilitating seamless movement of industrial products, the airport will play a crucial role in helping the region attract huge investments, boost rapid industrial growth, and enable reach of local products to national and international markets. This will bring new opportunities for numerous enterprises, and also create tremendous employment opportunities.

The airport will develop a Ground Transportation Centre that will feature a multimodal transit hub, housing metro and high-speed rail stations, taxi, bus services and private parking. This will enable seamless connectivity of the airport with road, rail, and metro. Noida and Delhi will be connected to the airport through hassle free metro service. All major nearby roads and highways like the Yamuna Expressway, Western Peripheral Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and others will be connected to the airport. The airport will also be linked to the planned Delhi-Varanasi High Speed Rail, enabling the journey between Delhi and airport in only 21 minutes.

The airport will also house a state-of-art MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhauling) Service. The design of the airport is focussed on low operating costs and seamless and fast transfer processes for passengers. The airport is introducing a swing aircraft stand concept, providing flexibility for airlines to operate an aircraft for both domestic and international flights from the same contact stand, without having to re-position the aircraft. This will ensure quick and efficient aircraft turnarounds at the airport, while ensuring a smooth and seamless passenger transfer process.

It will be India's first net zero emissions airport. It has earmarked dedicated land to be developed as forest park using trees from the project site. NIA will preserve all native species and be nature positive throughout the development of the airport.

The development of the first phase of the airport is being done with a cost of over Rs 10,050 crore. Spread over more than 1300 hectares of land, the completed first phase of the airport will have a capacity to serve around 1.2 crore passengers a year and work on it is scheduled to be completed by 2024. It will be executed by the international bidder Zurich Airport International AG as concessionaire. The groundwork for the first phase regarding land acquisition and rehabilitation of the affected families has been completed.

Delhi Airport on track to achieve net zero carbon emissions status by 2030

Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport announced (23-Nov-2021) it is on track to achieve net zero carbon emissions status by 2030 under Airports Council International's Airport Carbon Accreditation guidelines (Economic Times/Money Control/Outlook India, 23-Nov-2021).

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar stated DIAL has implemented "various environmentally sustainable programmes" in recent years, including the introduction of TaxiBot aircraft hauling semi robotic vehicles in 2019, which has resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of aviation turbine fuel consumed by aircraft for ground movements, including taxiing and parking. [more - original PR]

Original report: Announcement at COP26: Delhi's IGI Airport to become 'Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport' by 2030

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), operated by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) - a GMR-led consortium, is set to become Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030, much ahead of the IPCC's 2050 target adopted by all major industries all over the world. Mr. Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO-DIAL announced this in a video message displayed by Airport Council International (ACI) in an event during COP26, titled, "Delivering the Net Zero Airport of the Future".

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE, displayed the video in a session at the COP26 Action Hub in Glasgow on November 10, 2021. The session, organised jointly by ACI EUROPE and ACI World, showcase the vision and progress of IGIA towards Net Zero carbon emissions (making changes to reduce carbon emissions to the lowest amount - and offsetting as a last resort).

DIAL is committed to run its business in environment-friendly and sustainable manner by minimizing adverse impact of its activities on the environment with necessary pollution control systems and safeguards. It has implemented various programmes at the airport such as use of renewable energy, development of green airport infrastructures and multiple passenger connectivity networks, energy conservation & efficiency improvements and stakeholder partnership programs etc.

Its energy efficient and environment friendly infrastructure includes electric vehicle charging facility, state-of-the-art Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and Water Treatment Plant (WTP), energy efficient lighting systems, advanced fuel hydrant systems etc.

In addition to this, DIAL has also taken several technologically advanced measures such as adoption of electric vehicles and Taxibots. Taxibot (a semi-robotic vehicle, and is used as a means of taxiing the plane to the runway) at IGIA was introduced in 2019 for commercial operation and is the first airport in the world to take up this initiative. It has resulted in reduction of significant amount of aviation turbine fuel consumption by aircraft for ground movement.

Mr. Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO, DIAL, said, "At Delhi Airport, we are on a strong environment progress journey and we are confident to become "net zero carbon emission" airport by 2030, following the Airport Carbon Accreditation guidelines. Towards this direction, we have initiated various environmentally sustainable programmes, such as introduction of TaxiBot, adoption of electric vehicles etc. Achievement of the Level 4+ accreditation last year after getting Carbon Neutral Airport status in 2016 affirm our constant efforts towards sustainability and greener future. We will continue to develop best in the class infrastructure and provide services using innovative and sustainable technologies."

Carbon neutral refers to a policy of not increasing carbon emissions and of achieving carbon reduction through offsets.

IGIA became Asia Pacific's first Level 4+ (Transition) accredited airport under ACI's Airport Carbon Accreditation program last year. It was announced by ACI during the ACI EUROPE Annual Assembly & Congress. Airport Carbon Accreditation is the global standard for carbon management in the airport industry. It aims to encourage and enable airports and its stakeholders to implement best practices in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) management and achieve emission reductions.