Did you know?
In 2022, airports invested around $49.2 billion in construction projects, creating jobs and building new infrastructure.
Relevance to aviation
Aviation is one of the most innovative industries in the world. The manufacturing sector is continually developing new technology and creates significant urban infrastructure through the building of airports, as well as air traffic management. Aviation has always been a driver of innovation. Each new generation of aircraft is 15-20% more fuel efficient than the generation it replaces and the overall fuel efficiency of the fleet is around 80% better than 50 years ago. Significant investments in operations and infrastructure, the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and innovative new propulsion technologies, will result in substantial improvements in CO2 emissions.
Examples of action
- In October 2023, SWISS became the first passenger airline in the world to adopt the new AeroSHARK riblet film technology to further reduce carbon emissions. This reduces the aircraft’s annual fuel consumption by over 4,800 tonnes and the total annual carbon dioxide emissions of the SWISS Boeing 777 fleet by up to 15,200 tonnes – the amount emitted respectively by some 87 long-haul flights from Zurich to Mumbai.
- In 2024, Airbus signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) to launch the Sustainable Aviation Hub in Singapore focusing on technology, research and innovation. By bringing together professionals from the entire industry, the goal of the Hub is to promote research and development and build a robust and environmentally sustainable aviation ecosystem.
- Copenhagen Airport is one of the first airports in Europe to have installed a large battery to store green power, marking progress in the EU ALIGHT project. This will help to store power from solar and wind energy, thereby reducing emissions and helping the airport to achieve its net-zero operations goal.
- The new heating installation at Brussels Airport which will heat the terminal buildings without emitting CO2, is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 70%. This will be the largest net zero carbon installation in Belgium. It is planned to replace the airport’s central heating by early 2027.
- ACI’s “Airport Carbon Accreditation” global carbon management certification programme for airports, is the only institutionally-endorsed programme that accesses and recognises airports’ efforts to manage and reduce their carbon emissions.
Learn more in the Flying in Formation report