Irish airport operator daa has proposed new sustainability measures to incentivise airlines to operate lower CO₂ emission aircraft at Dublin Airport.
Under the new proposed incentive scheme, a low emissions discount will apply to Dublin Airport’s ultra-low-cost aeronautical charges, which are the lowest of any capital city airport in Europe. daa will charge more to airlines that fly high-emission aircraft.
The operator is shortly to begin consultations with airlines on the next phase of its environmental charging strategy, which proposes to introduce the new discounts to incentivise the operation of newer, quieter and cleaner aircraft at Dublin Airport. A new 25% discount off all runway charges will be available to those airlines that operate the most environmentally friendly aircraft at all times of the day. The potential multi-million-euro discounts are expected to go live within the next six months.
daa introduced the first phase of its environmental charging strategy last year and already applies higher charges for nosier aircraft which operate at night. It is committed to the continued introduction of environmental charges. Phases 1 and 2 of the noise reduction scheme focus on penalising aircraft noise at night via surcharges. Airlines operating at Dublin Airport are projected to achieve discounts on published aeronautical charges in excess of €30m this year. Carriers with aircraft based at Dublin Airport, such as Ryanair and Aer Lingus, reap the largest share of these incentives.
Dublin Airport has already secured carbon neutral status for emissions under its direct control, demonstrating its commitment to a more sustainable future.
We are fully committed to delivering on these targets while working alongside aviation stakeholders and our airline partners to support the sector’s transition to a more sustainable model
As an airport operator, daa levies airport charges to finance the regulated airport activities to provide passengers with a safe, high-quality and resilient service. daa’s price cap is set for a period of four years after consultation with the airlines and under the supervision of the independent economic regulator IAA (formerly CAR). Tariffs are set annually and daa says the new incentives will form part of a multi-annual scheme.
Kenny Jacobs, daa CEO, said: “At daa, we are embedding environmental sustainability into everything we do. We are acutely aware of the scale of the task of achieving the government’s target of a 51% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions at our airports by 2030, on our way to our ultimate goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.”
“We are fully committed to delivering on these targets while working alongside aviation stakeholders and our airline partners to support the sector’s transition to a more sustainable model for the future and addressing our Scope 3 emissions.”
In 2022, daa reduced its carbon emissions by 24% at Dublin Airport and 38% at Cork Airport versus a 2018 baseline average. The company aims to continue building and evolving its ESG (environment, society and governance) programme and credentials, with a particular focus on the implementation of a new reporting standard, as well as developing an updated ESG action plan for the business which will be introduced from 2024 onwards.
Image: daa
