Airbus and Airports Council International (ACI) World have signed a cooperation agreement to tackle the aviation industry’s environmental challenges.
The partnership, announced on 22 July 2024 in Farnborough, United Kingdom, aims to make significant progress in decarbonising aviation and mitigating aircraft noise impact.
The alliance will focus on key areas including Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), hydrogen technologies, advanced air mobility, operations efficiency, and aircraft noise management practices.
Julie Kitcher, Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “This partnership marks a significant step in our collective efforts to reduce aviation’s environmental impact.”
“By combining our technological expertise with ACI World’s vast network and operational insights, we aim to influence policies and standards that support sustainable aviation and drive industry-wide innovation,” she added.
The collaboration will involve exchanging information on low carbon operations, communicating industry progress, jointly developing guidance materials, and potentially formulating unified positions on policies and standards.
ACI World Director General and CEO Luis Felipe de Oliveira described the agreement as “a pivotal step in our journey towards a net-zero carbon aviation industry”.
“This strategic alliance underscores the unwavering commitment of airports worldwide to sustainable aviation, ensuring that we not only reduce our environmental impact but also maximise the socio-economic benefits of air travel,” he said.
The global partnership builds on the successful collaboration between Airbus and ACI EUROPE, which began two years ago.
This earlier partnership has strengthened the relationship between the two organisations by working together on the deployment of alternative energies, including hydrogen and SAF, within European alliances.
It has also involved sharing technical data with European airports and communicating progress at key industry events.
The expansion of this collaboration to a global scale highlights the importance of integrated efforts between aircraft manufacturers and airport operators worldwide in addressing aviation’s environmental challenges.
