Riga Airport is taking part in an international study on the use of low-emission aircraft technologies and their potential impact on airport surroundings.

The project – Integration and Digital Demonstration of Low Emission Aircraft Technologies and Airport Operations (INDIGO) – involves ten participating organisations in five countries, including the University Carlos III of Madrid in Spain, the Universities of Strathclyde and Bristol in the UK, the Bochum Technical University in Germany, the German Aerospace Research Centre, the Italian Aerospace Research Centre, and Riga Airport.

“Real progress towards aviation sustainability is possible only in the process of knowledge transfer and cooperation between academic science, creators of innovations, and practitioners who manage processes at airports on a daily basis.

“We are pleased that it is Riga Airport that is the reference airport in the study, which has been carried out by internationally highly rated partners and whose main goal is a sustainable aviation industry,” said Laila Odiņa, chairperson of the board of Riga Airport.

For the purposes of the project, Riga Airport will collect aircraft noise measurements and atmospheric model data, participate in the development of air quality and noise assessment indicators, examine the definition of data sources in other airports, and look at the development of airport operations scenarios and impact assessment.

The aim of the INDIGO project is to determine the potential benefits of using medium-sized aircraft powered by hybrid-electric propulsion and able to fly ultra-quiet and with minimal emissions near airports but using conventional or sustainable aviation fuel – at higher altitudes – for improving air quality and reducing noise levels near airports. The project, which will run until January 31, 2026, is financed by the Horizon programme of the European Union.

Image: Riga Airport

Real progress towards aviation sustainability is possible only in the process of knowledge transfer and cooperation

Laila Odiņa, Riga Airport