Bristol Airport and easyJet unite to achieve net-zero operation

Bristol Airport and easyJet have announced a new partnership to align on their long-term strategic goals around sustainability and net-zero emissions. The joint collaboration objectives are to create a net-zero emissions turnaround at Bristol Airport, as well as positively moving forward towards reducing easyJet’s overall carbon footprint. In order to achieve this, the shared partnership will study a wide range of cutting-edge developments and operational efficiencies, with easyJet using Bristol Airport as a test-bed to trial and implement the latest technological and innovative solutions for decarbonising its operations and reducing waste. It is anticipated that any successful results from the trials will have potential to be implemented across easyJet’s network, which includes 150 airports across 35 countries.

Jane Ashton, Director of Sustainability at easyJet, said: “easyJet takes sustainability seriously, already offsetting the carbon emissions from the fuel used on all our flights as an interim measure while we continue to champion the development of new technology. We will continue to optimise our operational fuel and carbon-efficiency and review what further measures we can take to reduce emissions across our operations. This partnership with Bristol Airport is a good example of how we can look at every aspect of our operations, really challenging how we do things by implementing the newest technological solutions across a series of decarbonisation and waste reduction trials over the coming months.”   

Bristol Airport and easyJet will work alongside various expert associates and partners throughout the aviation industry to help reduce and eliminate emissions from aircraft ground operations. Furthermore, the business partners intend to keep challenging others within the industry along the way, enquiring to work together to develop affordable and achievable technological solutions to achieve mutual end goals that have far reaching benefits.

The areas and projects on trial

The partnership will explore and trial various areas in the aviation operations in order to attain key results, including developments in: electric Ground Power Units, sustainable aviation fuels, electric passenger coach transportation, as well as recycling and waste management. The trials will also introduce employee carbon-saving initiatives, aircraft continuous descent approaches, supply chain carbon reduction, zero carbon emission aircraft turnarounds and Neo Aircraft deployment and Fleet Optimisation.

“We are delighted to be partnering with easyJet to see how we can continue to work together towards our ambition to achieve net-zero emissions at the airport,” commented Simon Earles, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Director at Bristol Airport.

“As an airport we are taking our commitments to address climate change seriously and we have made great progress already. By the end of 2021, we will be a carbon neutral airport for emissions under our direct control, exceeding our own target, four years ahead of schedule.”

“The easyJet commitment follows on from the work we have already started in announcing an Aviation Carbon Transition (ACT) Programme with a starting fund of £250,000. The ACT Programme will support initiatives and projects reducing direct and indirect emissions from airport infrastructure to enable lower/zero emissions, research and development of decarbonisation or alternative fuels for use by airlines, design and develop processes and procedures to eliminate emissions, as well as demonstrating our commitment to working with others to support innovation in relation to decarbonising transport and flight emissions outside of our direct control,” added Earles.

“Working in partnership with easyJet will enable us to develop joint initiatives and projects to contribute towards decarbonising aviation and the creation of green jobs.”