Minister has told stakeholders to minimize aviation emissions
Airports in India are transitioning to 100% green energy, with 55 airports, including 49 managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI), are currently operating on 100% green energy, Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation Gen. (Dr) V. K. Singh (Retd) has updated Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question on 20 July 2023.
Further, he said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), Section 10 titled ‘Aviation Environmental Protection,’ Series B, Part I. This requirement outlines the general procedures and practices that stakeholders should follow to minimize aviation emissions and their impact on climate change.
Additionally, airlines have implemented measures to reduce their carbon footprint, such as reducing aircraft weight, preventing moisture and dirt accumulation on aircraft, and optimizing speed and flap management.
AAI, in consultation with the Indian Air Force, has optimized airspace utilization through the Flexible Use of Airspace (FUA) initiative, resulting in a reduction of CO2 emissions.
AAI has introduced initiatives to reduce the use of energy intensive equipment in existing and upcoming airport projects. They have published Energy Intensity Data and created a training module for Air Traffic Controllers to raise awareness about carbon neutrality as part of their induction training program.
The Government has set a target to operationalise 1,000 UDAN routes during the currency of the scheme and to revive and develop 100 unserved as well as underserved airports, heliports, water aerodromes in the country by 2024 for operation of UDAN flights.
DGCA, the aviation safety regulator, publishes Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) to ensure airport safety, while the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issues AvSec orders and circulars to strengthen airport security in line with the guidelines set by ICAO.
On safety measures, the Minister said Full Body Scanners at airports are planned in a phased manner – such as Radiological Detection Equipment (RDE) at Indian Airports are planned in phased manner while Biometric Centralized Access Control Systems have been launched in 48 Airports. Fiinews.com
