121 airports to be made carbon neutral by 2025: Scindia

PTI, Apr 20, 2023, 8:05 PM IST

Twenty-five airports in the country are using 100 per cent green energy while another 121 airports will be made carbon neutral by 2025, Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday.

Scindia made these comments in his virtual address at the two-day EU-India aviation summit. He could not attend the event in person after testing Covid positive.

”The emission contribution of the aviation industry has been under immense scrutiny. We have taken several measures to minimise the carbon footprint and mitigate emissions from the aviation industry,” he said, asserting that India and the European Union have a common goal of tackling climate change.

”We are encouraging airports to use 100 per cent green energy by 2024, and achieve net zero by 2030. 25 AAI airports are already using 100 per cent green energy. Our target is to make another 121 airports carbon neutral by 2025,” he added.

India has 148 operational airports including 137 airports, 2 water aerodromes and 9 heliports. Carbon neutral airports have zero carbon footprints and operate completely on green energy such as hydro and solar power for all their energy needs. These airports also offset any residual CO2 emissions under their direct control.

Carbon neutral airports are ones that have taken on green practices on a larger scale, have purchased carbon credits, and have things such as wastewater recycling, solar energy, LED lighting and more that can offset carbon emissions.

The minister informed that the government has mandated the use of renewable energy as part of the bid documents for upcoming airports. ”We are also working towards encouraging the use of sustainable aviation fuel. Indian airline operators have already conducted demonstration flights using bio-fuel blended with ATF,” he said. Scindia also invited EU players to partner India in developing adaptive technologies and support the objective of tackling emissions from the aviation industry. The summit, which began on Thursday, will focus on EU-India air transport relations and the mutually-shared challenges and opportunities of the two regions, such as the post-Covid recovery of air traffic, increasing sustainability, maintaining safety and the development of unmanned aircraft systems.

The summit will bring together top-level policy makers, industry executives and stakeholders from both the EU and India.

The aviation minister noted that India has reformed the regulatory mechanism to promote aircraft manufacturing in the country.

”We have reformed the regulatory environment to make it as conducive as possible for MROs – reduced GST rates on MRO services from 18 per cent to 5 per cent and allowed 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment into the sector. New MRO guidelines have also been rolled out for rationalisation of the charges leviable on MRO service providers for ease of doing business.

”I would urge industry players from EU to tap these opportunities, and become a part of the fastest growing aviation market in the world,” he added.