Dublin Airport Authority (daa) has announced proposals to incentivise airlines to operate the most fuel-efficient aircraft at the Irish hub.
The plans would see a 25 per cent discount on all runway charges offered to “all airlines that operate the most environmentally friendly aircraft at all times of the day”.
The authority said it would consult with airlines over the inventive, as part of the next phase of its environmental charging strategy. Last year the airport began applying higher charges for noisier aircraft at night.
The daa said that multi-million Euro discounts for airlines operating fuel-efficient aircraft “are expected to go live within the next six months”.
The authority said that the “ground-breaking incentives” follow the airport being awarded carbon neutral status in 2021.
Carbon emissions fell by 24 per cent at Dublin airport in 2022 (compared to a 2018 baseline average), and the daa said it had also achieved a 46 per cent recycling rate at the airport.
Commenting on the news Kenny Jacobs, daa’s CEO, said:
“At daa, we are embedding environmental sustainability into everything we do. We are acutely aware of the scale of the task of achieving the government’s target of a 51 per cent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions at our airports by 2030, on our way to our ultimate goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
“We are fully committed to delivering on these targets while in parallel, working alongside aviation stakeholders and our airline partners to support the sector’s transition to a more sustainable model for the future and addressing our Scope 3 emissions.
“daa has a renewed ambition for Dublin Airport and its users. We are steadfast in our ambition to grow Dublin Airport sustainably and to be a standard-bearer for quality service.
“Following on from the North Runway development, we aim to progress at pace our planned €1.9 billion capital investment program in sustainability projects, a refurbished terminal, new piers, gates, stands, and transfer facilities that will ensure a compelling service and lasting legacy for future generations of air travellers in and out of Ireland.”
