Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport Company and Belgocontrol have signed a cooperation agreement with Brussels Airlines, TUI Fly and DHL Express, undertaking joint initiatives that further reduce the environmental impact of aviation activities. In signing the ‘Collaborative Environmental Management’ agreement, the five partners formalised their long-standing cooperation on environmental issues. By joining forces and aligning all their environmental efforts, the partners aim to accelerate projects and achieve more in the fields of carbon and noise reduction, as well as local air quality.
Athens Airport
Musician Sting was the guest of honour at Athens International Airport as the gateway unveiled a tapestry which supports Amnesty International’s ‘I welcome’ campaign for refugees across the globe. The monumental tapestry named ‘I love Greece’ was designed and offered as a gift to Amnesty International from the acclaimed Greek artist, Sophia Vari. Symbolising the Greek welcome offered to hundreds of thousands of men, women and children from Syria fleeing war and persecution, at a difficult point in time for Greece itself, the tapestry will be on permanent display in the Arrivals Hall.
Budapest Airport
The airport’s Pier B development has been completed, securing another milestone in the BUD 2020 programme. The new facility was much needed, as Budapest Airport has seen double-digit growth, often reaching 14%-15%, in passenger numbers continuously during the last four years, with an even greater increase in non-Schengen traffic. The new pier B was designed by a team of architects from Hungarian design bureau KÖZTI led by Zoltán Tima. As part of the self-financed plan, the airport operator spent 55-60 billion HUF (€160-180 million) of its own resources to improve airport infrastructure, modernise instrument landing systems, expand aircraft maintenance hangars, hand over new logistics bases in the vicinity of Terminal 1, and open the new airport hotel near Terminal 2.
Visby Airport
Swedavia’s operations at Visby Airport are now entirely fossil-free following many years of focused work, which included the electrification of its vehicles, a switch in fuels and implementation of efficiency measures. In 10 years, fossil carbon dioxide emissions at Visby Airport have decreased from about 300 metric tons a year to zero. Intensive work to replace all vehicles that run on fossil fuel energy – from fire trucks to snow removal equipment – accounts for the reduction. Energy consumption has fallen steadily, and the airport’s energy is provided by green or renewable electricity.
Tampere Airport
Finnish airport operator Finavia has unveiled the completed development and modernisation of the country’s Tampere-Pirkkala Airport. Finavia invested more than €17 million to increase the southern Finnish airport’s capacity and accessibility to the surrounding Pirkanmaa region. The enlarged apron and turning area means the airport can now accept widebody aircraft. Airport lighting was also replaced with energy-efficient LEDs and the improved ILS will improve the airport’s ability to continue to operate in poor weather. Much of the four-month project was conducted with normal airport operations going on around it.
Larnaka and Pafos airports
In total, 74 BorderXpress interactive kiosks have been installed at both international airports in Cyprus. Designed by Vancouver Airport Authority’s Innovative Travel Solutions, they will enable each departing or arriving passenger to scan his or her identity card or passport as part of the passport control procedure. Each passenger will receive a receipt which must then be presented at a predefined checkpoint. At this stage, BorderXpress kiosks will be used only by EU citizens in arrivals, whereas at the exit immigration control all nationalities will be able to use the kiosks.
Munich Airport
During two weeks in August, to the delight of passengers and visitors, Munich Airport hosted the second edition of Bike and Style at the Munich Airport Center (MAC), located between terminals 1 and 2. Bike and Style is an action-packed event featuring spectacular freestyle shows and high jump contests with competing riders from around the globe. A special highlight this year was the mountain bike freestyling contest, putting top international riders to the test on 18 August 2018.
London City Airport
This summer, London City Airport took the unusual step of offering free “dumb phones” to passengers in a bid to lure them away from attention-sapping smart devices, while on holiday. As part of a “self-imposed smartphone amnesty” travellers were asked to pledge not to use their iPhones and Android gadgets for at least 48 hours. Instead, they were provided with a credit card-sized Light Phone, which could only make and receive calls. Passengers were invited to keep the phone after the holiday. Airport bosses hope to encourage holidaymakers to detox from “digital distractions” such as social media, apps and work emails.
