Nearly 70% Less Emission than 14 Years Ago; Prague Airport Annually Reduces the Impact of Its Operation on the Environment

"We first focused on reducing the impact on the environment, which we directly influence. Now, we are targeting our activities towards our business partners, because approximately 85 percent of the emissions at Václav Havel Airport Prague are generated by the activities of third parties, namely partners involved in the operation of the airport and airlines. The largest share is produced during the LTO cycles of take-offs, landings, and taxiing of aircraft on aprons. That is why we motivate our partners in various ways to pursue more responsible practices. We organise the TOP Sustainable Airline contest for air carriers, in which, alongside noise and emissions, we also monitor the airline’s approach to sustainability. Air carriers are thus motivated, among other things, because of the noise and the recently drafted proposal on the emission charge, to deploy on routes to Prague new, modern aircraft, which produce less emissions and noise pollution,” Soňa Hykyšová, Prague Airport Environmental Protection, Sustainability, and ESG Director, said.

Prague Airport has implemented several projects which help it achieve carbon neutrality. These include an exchange of vehicles in its fleet for electric cars and the creation of an infrastructure for their operation. In 2023, Prague Airport purchased a total of 15 electric and 13 plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles. Photovoltaics are installed on airport infrastructure objects, and attention is also focused on smaller projects, such as the replacement of lighting, boilers, cooling units, and temperature adjustments in offices. Prague Airport is also mapping the possibilities of using hydrogen. The answer to this question will be obtained this year from the results of the currently ongoing study. The attenuated night-time operation of the AC units and lighting in the terminals is also implemented. The share of purchased green electricity for the year 2023 amounted to 78 percent at Prague Airport, and it is expected to increase until 2030.

The 2023 Sustainability Report, which has recently been published by the Prague Airport Group, does not only deal with carbon neutrality. “Last year's ESG report reflects a strong commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. We detailed on its pages our activities regarding the reduction of emissions, the grant programmes through which we support the surrounding communities, and the transparency and ethics of our business conduct. We are currently getting ready for the implementation of legislation related to ESG, which will influence the further direction of the sustainability strategy in our company,” Soňa Hykyšová added. The 2023 Sustainability Report is available on the www.prg.aero website.