CSR Middle East, CSR dedicated platform with 3.555 corporate members in the Middle East.

Sustainability dominates afternoon sessions at Global Aerospace Summit

'Investing in airport capacity while keeping customers satisfied' was the subject of the afternoon's opening panel discussion, featuring James Bennett, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports Company; Rosemarie S. Andolino, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation; Nicolas Villen, CEO, Ferrovial Aeropuertos; Paul Reid, Managing Director, NATS; and Shane O'Hare, CEO, Royal Jet.

Investment in infrastructure was only one side of the debate, with runway capacity described as 'not the be-all and end-all'. The factor nominated by delegates as the most responsible for limiting the growth of aviation in the MENA region was overwhelmingly 'poor coordination of air space in the Middle East', with 43pc of delegate votes.

Rosemarie Andolino made a robust defence of the importance of a thriving airport as an essential contributor to a local economy. Nicolas Villen argued that research done on the carbon footprint of Heathrow indicates that airports actually make a relatively small contribution to CO2 emissions, and are in fact leading the way in sustainable infrastructure, with the new Heathrow Terminal 2 being 40pc more efficient than the previous one.

Sustainability also dominated the final session of the day. Delegates heard about regional research projects to develop biofuels for aviation from microalgae both in Qatar, which involves Qatar Airways, Qatar Petroleum and Qatar Science and Technology Park and expects to be ready to 'harvest' its first biofuels next year; and in UAE, via the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Project, which brings together Etihad, Boeing, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and Honeywell.

The session, entitled 'Regulation, profitability and sustainability: how the environment, fuel prices and legislation impact the civil aviation industry' featured Mary Ellen Jones, President, Engine Alliance; Ian Jopson, Head of Environmental & Community Affairs, NATS; Vincent Schachter, Vice President Research and Development, Total Gas & Power; Captain Chris Schroeder, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment and Fuel Projects, Qatar Airways; Darrin Morgan, Director, Sustainable Aviation Fuels Strategy for Boeing; and Miles Cowdry, Director, Global Corporate Development, Rolls Royce.

Other topics discussed included the role of air traffic management in driving environmental efficiencies; the importance of the sustainability of human capital; and the European Union's controversial Emissions Trading Scheme.

Views: 113

Comment

You need to be a member of CSR Middle East to add comments!

Join CSR Middle East

© 2024   Created by Dr. Fatih Mehmet Gul.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service