London City Airport has published a new sustainability roadmap in a bid to become the first net zero airport in London by the end of the decade.
Steps being taken include phasing out gas for heating its buildings and ensuring all airport vehicles become electric.
It also aspires to be the most sustainably connected airport in the UK, with 80% of all journeys to and from the airport to be made by sustainable transport modes by 2030.
In 2019, 73% of passengers accessed London City by public and sustainable transport, the highest percentage of any UK airport.
A recent YouGov survey, commissioned by London City Airport, found that passengers consider sustainability to be one of the top issues in aviation.
Data also shows that most respondents expect the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to become available in the UK within the next 10 years.
Similarly, most respondents anticipate that zero emission flights would be rolled out within the next 20 years.
The airport aims to be one of the first airports in the UK to facilitate zero emission flights and is working closely with industry partners and UK Government to understand how the airport can facilitate low to zero emission flights as technology comes on stream.
London City Airport Chief Executive Officer, Robert Sinclair, said: “As we continue to recover from the impact of the pandemic, it is imperative that we rebuild in the right way.
“We hope all of our partners and stakeholders will welcome our ambition, not just to decarbonise, but to play a meaningful role locally, right across the ESG agenda.
“Given our size, location and the nature of our route network and operation, we are ideally placed to help shape the next phase of aviation innovation in London, establishing it as a global leader of the net zero economy, supporting innovation, research and development and creating jobs for the amazing young people of this city.”
