Airbus and ACI World strengthen global cooperation to decarbonise aviation

Farnborough, United Kingdom, 22 July 2024 - Airbus and Airports Council International (ACI) World association have signed a cooperation agreement to support the industry’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of aviation.

This partnership leverages the strengths of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer and the largest and most important international association of airports to make significant progress in both decarbonising aviation and mitigating aircraft noise impact.

This alliance will address key areas including Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), hydrogen technologies, advanced air mobility, operations efficiency, and aircraft noise management practices. It will foster the exchange of information and perspectives on low carbon operations, communicate industry progress, jointly develop guidance materials, and potentially formulate unified positions on policies and standards to achieve the industry targets. 

“This partnership marks a significant step in our collective efforts to reduce aviation's environmental impact,” said Julie Kitcher, Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer. “By combining our technological expertise with ACI World’s vast network and operational insights, we aim to influence policies and standards that support sustainable aviation and drive industry-wide innovation. Together, we can create a cohesive and aligned approach to achieving our decarbonisation targets and enhancing the sustainability of the global aviation sector”.

ACI World Director General and CEO Luis Felipe de Oliveira said: “Airbus and ACI World’s groundbreaking cooperation agreement marks a pivotal step in our journey towards a net-zero carbon aviation industry. This strategic alliance underscores the unwavering commitment of airports worldwide to sustainable aviation, ensuring that we not only reduce our environmental impact but also maximise the socio-economic benefits of air travel. By focusing on key areas such as Sustainable Aviation Fuels, hydrogen technologies, advanced air mobility, operational efficiency, and aircraft noise management, we are setting new benchmarks for sustainability in aviation, and paving the way for a greener future”.

This collaboration builds on the successful partnership between Airbus and ACI EUROPE, which began two years ago and which has significantly strengthened the relationship by working together on the deployment of alternative energies including hydrogen and SAF within European alliances, sharing technical data with European airports and communicating progress at key industry events. The expansion of this collaboration to a global scale underscores the importance of integrated efforts between aircraft manufacturers and airport operators on a global scale.

Note to editors

• Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, is a federated organisation comprising ACI World, ACI Africa, ACI Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, ACI Europe, ACI Latin America and the Caribbean and ACI North America. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally sustainable. As of May 2024, ACI serves 814 members, operating 2110 airports in 169 countries.
  Learn more about ACI World Environment.
• Click here to learn more about Airbus’ decarbonisation roadmap
• More information on Airbus at the Farnborough International Airshow is available here

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