Reducing Carbon and increasing airport sustainability Level 3 ACA

Airport Carbon Accreditation is a global carbon management certification programme for airports. It independently assesses and recognises the efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon emissions through 6 levels of certification.

Back in 2011, Abu Dhabi International Airport became the first airport in the Asia-Pacific region to achieve Airport Carbon Accredited status as part of the carbon management certification programme. In 2018, AUH achieved airport status at the Level 3 Optimisation of the carbon management certification programme.

Optimisation level of Airport Carbon Accreditation requires to engage third parties in carbon footprint management. Third parties include airlines and various service providers, such as independent ground handlers, catering companies, air traffic control and others working on the airport site. It also involves engagement on surface access modes with authorities and users.

We aim to continually improve our accreditation level as a demonstration of our commitment to promoting sustainability in the aviation sector.

Follow the Greens

Abu Dhabi Airports revealed its Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). The system is the first and most progressive of its kind in the Middle East and the latest example of the aviation company’s drive to use the latest technology to offer its passengers enhanced safety, efficiency, and sustainability to deliver a seamless travel journey.

This new technology is not only for the benefit of passengers. Airfield guidance and control systems are used to illuminate runways at night or in low visibility conditions, like fog, to ensure pilots can easily identify the runway, take off and touchdown areas, as well as any potential obstructions on the airfield.

The new system will reduce plane taxi timings as well as reduce forced diversions due to bad weather, benefiting passengers and mitigating associated costs for airlines. It further upscales the airport’s capacity whilst reducing power consumption and ensures minimal maintenance downtime. The system is equipped with ‘Follow the Greens’ technology which enables intelligent and sustainable routing and guidance by automatically illuminating only the lights needed to guide a specific aircraft to its designated gate.

“Our drive to excel and be progressive is a constant that mirrors the drive and ambition of our emirate and the aviation sector. Our goal is to ensure that all of our airports offer state-of-the-art technology to power efficiency, growth and increase our contributions to the emirate’s economy,” commented H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Airports.