Last year, Aruba’s Queen Beatrix Airport initiated a corporate strategic process to make airport management more sustainable, safe and innovative in the region.
For Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) CEO Joost Meijs, «sustainability has become a vital pillar and focus for the coming years and is now firmly anchored in our vision, purpose, values and strategies».
In the global drive to decarbonize the sector, airport management plays a fundamental role, as there are many initiatives that can be promoted to reduce pollution in spaces through which thousands of passengers pass each year.
Specifically, the airport addressed in 2021 a series of policies aimed at achieving this goal. On one hand, the donations policy, which seeks to support sustainable community projects that are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations.
On the other hand, the carbon emissions policy, a central issue for aviation, through which it will promote progressive decarbonization by quantifying, reducing, optimizing and offsetting its emissions.
Meijs additionally stated that «AAA is committed to contribute to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to fully recognize our important role, together with our partners and other stakeholders, in contributing to a more sustainable Aruba (…) Our commitment to a sustainable future for Aruba, as shown in this report, was very well received».
Some of the measures the airport is taking, and which are reflected in the report, include the transition to a paperless space and the reduction of single-use plastics. Also, it has already initiated to explore the possibilities of introducing electric flights to connect the Dutch Caribbean islands.
The company is also climbing the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) certification levels, which assesses the efforts of airports around the world to manage and reduce their CO2 emissions.
