Digitalisation and sustainability are key to aviation’s future, in the context of increasing technology-driven change and critical net zero commitments. We sat down with Jennifer Desharnais, director for sustainability and environmental protection at Airports Council International (ACI) World, which is explicitly linking sustainability and digitalisation as aviation’s “twin transition” in the airport context.
“Airports today are well on their way to becoming sustainable, digital airports of the future,” Desharnais tells us. “Around the world, airports are striving for carbon neutrality: they are reducing their own emissions through various means, integrating carbon capture technologies to achieve net-zero carbon impact, and working with their value chain to reduce Scope 3 emissions.”
Between carbon measurement and accreditation efforts — including ACI’s own Airport Carbon Accreditation standard, which now certifies over five hundred airports worldwide — airports are seeking to do their part to overcome the thorny problem of decarbonising their operations. Wherever possible, a quick-win, low-hanging-fruit approach has been successful, notably in the fields of terminal operations. Airports have been quick to learn from other settings where large numbers of people gather, to share their own information, and to implement that learning effectively.
As part of the next stage of their decarbonisation journey, airports are working with the World Economic Forum on a collaborative initiative, Airports of Tomorrow (AoT). The goal: meeting the energy, infrastructure and financing needs of aviation’s net zero transition.
“By harnessing the potent synergy among all industry stakeholders — airports, aviation service providers, airlines, energy producers and providers, infrastructure, engineering and construction firms, policymakers, and the finance community — the AoT will help to propel airports forward in four key areas,” Desharnais explains. These are: “addressing new infrastructure needs for novel propulsion technologies, scaling up sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production capacity, securing sustainable financial support from investors and governments, and championing innovation.”
Helpfully, there are many tools within aviation’s toolbox — especially connected, tech-forward opportunities that not only help to reduce environmental impact, but also provide a wealth of data to airports and the rest of the aviation industry.
“Sustainable, digital airports of the future will increasingly leverage the use of smart grids, energy monitoring systems, and other sustainable practices that contribute to energy savings,” Desharnais says. “Technologies such as sensors, Internet of Things devices, and data analytics will increasingly play an important role in enabling efficient resource allocation, thereby minimising environmental impact.“
Artificial intelligence will be a key enabling technology, particularly when it comes to synthesising the enormous amount of data that will be generated by the forthcoming wave of sensor-enabled devices, vehicles and other equipment. From flight operations through air navigation services to ground handling and integrated onward transportation, a whole-journey approach will not only be possible — it will be necessary.
A good example of early progress, Desharnais says, is “airports’ adoption of circular economy principles, with a focus on recycling, reusing, refurbishing, repurposing, and waste reduction. They are deliberately choosing construction materials selected based on environmental impact, durability, and recyclability. The combination of sustainability and digitalisation has given rise to the term ‘twin transition.’”
Here, Desharnais suggests, “the movement towards sustainability and the adoption of more advanced technologies mutually reinforce each other. Sustainable practices benefit from technological innovations, while technological advancements are guided by sustainability goals. ACI and its members have achieved great progress in this area, creating a roadmap for airports that not only ensures a reduced environmental impact but also embraces the transformative potential of technology in reshaping air travel.”
ACI is working on a forthcoming white paper focussing on this twin transition, with methodologies and recommendations for integrating the latest digitalisation technology within net zero goals.
Published: 28 September 2023
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