Christchurch Airport has taken a significant step forward in its sustainability journey, becoming the first airport in the world to adopt a cutting-edge emissions tracking platform that will aid its climate action initiatives. This groundbreaking move solidifies the airport’s position as a global leader in the push for a more sustainable aviation industry.
A key focus of Christchurch Airport’s sustainability efforts has been tracking and reducing its own on-the-ground operational emissions. Traditionally, flight emissions data has been gathered annually and categorized into broad segments such as domestic, regional, and international. However, the advanced PACE Airports platform now allows the airport to monitor emissions in greater detail, enabling data-driven conversations and long-term transition planning with its airline partners.
The PACE Airports platform delivers up-to-date emissions data covering over 99% of commercial flights worldwide, tracking more than 370,000 individual routes and utilizing over 10 billion flight data points. The system calculates emissions down to the specific engine type of each aircraft and can be tailored to local conditions, providing Christchurch Airport with unprecedented insights into its carbon footprint.
According to Claire Waghorn, Sustainability Transition Leader at Christchurch Airport, “Our key focus on this sustainability journey has been reducing our own operational emissions and then seeking to support our wider sector reductions. The insight from this platform offers us data to consider the aviation-related emissions across the entire airport operations.”
Christchurch Airport is the first airport globally to adopt the PACE Airports platform, which was developed by Fexco, an Irish global fintech and financial services company. The platform is currently used by leading banks and aviation financiers to track emissions across the global aviation sector, making it a cutting-edge tool for Christchurch Airport’s sustainability efforts.
This pioneering move by Christchurch Airport underscores the importance of data-driven solutions in the quest for a more sustainable future for the aviation industry. By harnessing the power of advanced emissions tracking technology, the airport is poised to lead the way in reducing its carbon footprint and inspiring other airports worldwide to follow suit.
