This is the era of mobility, speed and connectivity. All these three things come together at airports. The overlapping networks of air transportation have become more complex and energy consuming. Apart from the developed countries such as the U.S., the population of developing countries prefer air travel over other options of transportation. This trend while encouraging for airlines is a concerning matter.
The rise in fuel prices and trade wars have forced airline companies to decrease the number of flights and even eliminate some routes. This resulted in increased plane fares and more crowded airports and planes. Such challenges make it difficult for airlines and airports to focus on their green initiatives. However, developing a green airport could help the cause.
A green airport refers to a more sustainable airport that reduces the environmental impact of airport activities and helps mitigate the impact of climate change on other facilities and operations. Some airports have already incorporated greener elements in their operating strategies and designs and have pledged to support sustainable initiatives. According to Allied Market Research, the global green airport market is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years.
Needless to say, the sustainability of air travel will remain a challenging issue for years to come, but it will depend more on architecture and urban design airports compared to designing fuel-efficient aircraft and reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. For the last few years, multiple countries have been redesigning their terminals and integrating green building technologies.
Airport Construction and Environmental Sustainability Concerns
The aviation industry is one of the prime sources of greenhouse gas emissions and causes around 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions, which will only increase in the future if firm steps are not implemented. While the aircraft itself is not the only vehicle used at the airport, the amount of carbon dioxide emission is much higher than expected. Apart from aircraft, airside and landside vehicles, fuel storage, ground support equipment, engine testing, road traffic and fire training are also the major sources of air pollution. Thus, there is a strong need to implement greener initiatives at airports.
Another prime concern is noise pollution. Airports give off high levels of noise that directly affect people’s health and result in sleep disturbance, interference with communication, annoyance responses, and learning acquisition. Thus, airports use sound barriers and other soundproofing techniques to reduce the noise output but it controls the sound pollution to some extent.
Use of Right Sustainable Materials
The idea of a green airport was unconsciously neglected since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as the aviation industry is gaining back its previous popularity. What’s more, the recovery of airlines will be useful for the green airport initiatives.
Airports can incorporate new approaches including renewable energies, natural lighting, water recycling, and innovative ventilation to minimize their impact on the environment. One of such innovative approaches is using green materials. According to many experts in this field, the mindset of the construction and interior design sectors – take, make and waste – has hampered the environment for years. However, this mindset shifts to circular ecology by replacing virgin materials with recycled or reused materials. There are only a few steps from sustainability to circular ecology to develop green airports.
Circular Airport
Over the last few years, airport developers and architectures have been working to find new ways to reuse old materials into new structures. When it comes to developing a new airport or renovating an old airport, developers opt for complete demolition. However, this process leads to a lot of waste of raw materials.
This involves recycling pavement as a sub-base for new airport runways, aprons and taxiways. Moreover, recycling metals including steel, copper and aluminum could reduce the overall budget. Offering preference to using sustainable materials and using locally sourced wood and use of recycled aluminum and steel could help in developing circular airports.
Global Scenario of the Green Airport
When it comes to the implementation of green airports, South Africa is at the forefront with its thee solar-power domestic airports. Apart from such green practices for airports, green airport concepts cover air quality management, aircraft noise conservation and water resource management. There are some airports that are already leading the aviation industry and encouraging to development of eco-friendly airports. For instance, Zurich Airport in Switzerland uses rainwater for toilets and leverages geothermal energy for heating-cooling systems. Moreover, Indira Gandi International Airport uses a water recycling system and is carefully constructed to use the maximum amount of sunlight. Moreover, the construction of the building is using only recycled materials. Currently, the largest solar-powered airport is in the Denver International Airport, which has power-saving and recycling facilities along with the world’s largest and greenest parking lot.
With the rise in ocean levels, greenhouse emissions and increased demand for faster modes of transportation, the demand for air travel is bound to increase in the future. Thus, it is high time for airports to pay more attention to travelers’ airport experience and integration of eco-friendly solutions and strive to improve airport infrastructure.
Swamini Kulkarni holds a bachelor’s degree in Instrumentation and control engineering from Pune University and works as a content writer at Allied Market Research. She is deeply fascinated by the impact of technology on human life and loves to talk about science and mythology. When she is not glued to the computer, she loves to read, travel and daydream about her areas of interest.
