Bristol Airport joins forces with EasyJet to trial a range of initiatives with a long-term ambition to achieve net-zero operations at the airport

Bristol Airport and easyJet have today announced a new collaboration to align on their important strategic goals around sustainability.  The partnership will involve a series of trials all geared towards the overall ambition to achieve a -zero emissions turnaround at Bristol alongside taking steps to contribute positively towards reducing easyJet’s overall carbon footprint.

The joint partnership will study a wide range of cutting-edge developments and operational efficiencies, with easyJet using Bristol Airport as a test-bed to trial and implement the latest technological and innovative solutions for decarbonising its operations and reducing waste.  It’s hoped that any successful results from the trials will have the potential to be rolled out across easyJet’s network which spans 150 airports across 35 countries.  

The partnership will work with various expert associates and partners throughout the aviation industry to help reduce and eliminate emissions from aircraft ground operations, challenging industry along the way to work together to develop affordable and achievable technological solutions toward mutual end goals that have far reaching benefits.

Projects and trials will include work in the following areas: 
-    electric Ground Power Units 
-    sustainable aviation fuels 
-    electric passenger coach transportation
-    recycling and waste management 
-    employee carbon-saving initiatives
-    supply chain carbon reductions  
-    aircraft continuous descent approaches 
-    zero carbon emission aircraft turnarounds 
-    Neo Aircraft deployment and Fleet Optimisation

Jane Ashton, Director of Sustainability at easyJet, said:  easyJet takes sustainability seriously, already offsetting the carbon emissions from the fuel used on all our flights as an interim measure while we continue to champion the development of new technology.  We will continue to optimise our operational fuel and carbon-efficiency and review what further measures we can take to reduce emissions across our operations. This partnership with Bristol Airport is a good example of how we can look at every aspect of our operations, really challenging how we do things by implementing the newest technological solutions across a series of decarbonisation and waste reduction trials over the coming months.    

Simon Earles, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Director, Bristol Airport said:
“We are delighted to be partnering with easyJet to see how we can continue to work together towards our ambition to achieve net-zero emissions at the airport.  As an airport we are taking our commitments to address climate change seriously and we have made great progress already.  By the end of 2021 we will be a carbon neutral airport for emissions under our direct control, exceeding our own target, four years ahead of schedule.  
“The easyJet commitment follows on from the work we have already started in announcing an Aviation Carbon Transition (ACT) Programme with a starting fund of £250k. The (ACT) Programme will support initiatives and projects reducing direct and indirect emissions from airport infrastructure to enable lower/zero emissions; research and development of decarbonisation or alternative fuels for use by airlines; design and develop processes and procedures to eliminate emissions and demonstrating our commitment to working with others to support innovation in relation to decarbonising transport and flight emissions outside of our direct control. 
“Working in partnership with easyJet will enable us to develop joint initiatives and projects to contribute towards decarbonising aviation and the creation of green jobs.”