As part of the Royal Schiphol Group, Eindhoven Airport is also committed to making aviation more sustainable. We believe that flying sustainably, with fewer emissions and therefore less impact on the environment and the living environment, is possible. We commit ourselves to agreements about this and contribute ideas about innovations. The aviation sector in the Netherlands has made an agreement to become more sustainable. By 2030, the sector wants to reduce CO₂ emissions from aviation from the Netherlands to the level of 2005. By 2050, aviation will be CO₂ neutral. Important matters that will contribute to this are sustainable aviation fuels, hybrid and electric flying and more efficient use of European airspace. 

Biokerosene: Biokerosene is an important means to make aviation more sustainable because it can significantly reduce CO₂ emissions. The Dutch aviation sector has agreed that by 2030 at least 14 percent of all kerosene that is refueled at Dutch airports will consist of biokerosene. This jet fuel can reduce aircraft emissions by up to 80 percent. Eindhoven Airport, for example, ensures that airlines can also refuel sustainable kerosene at our airport by adapting fueling facilities. The Clean Skies for Tomorrow (CST) coalition, of which Eindhoven Airport (as part of Royal Schiphol Group) is a part off, has asked the European Commission to introduce a European blending obligation for aviation fuel by 2025 at the latest. CST would like the European Commission to also announce the blending obligation and to have it in effect no later than 2025. Until 2050, CST wants the mandatory admixture ratio to increase. According to Eindhoven Airport, it is necessary to increase the production of biokerosene. A European blending mandate stimulates investments in this technology and prevents different, non-coordinated approaches from being chosen in Europe.

Sustainability incorporated in charges: Sustainability is a task for the entire aviation sector. We do it together. That is why Eindhoven Airport encourages airlines to use cleaner and quieter aircrafts. From April 2023, airlines will pay less in airport charges if they start/land at Eindhoven Airport with cleaner/quieter aircrafts. Airlines pay more if they land/take off with the noisiest and most polluting aircraft. Through this differentiation in airport charges, Eindhoven Airport tries to stimulate the use of newer, cleaner and quieter aircraft and fleet renewal.    

The determination of the airport charges is laid down by law. Airlines pay this fee for taking-off and landing and for use of the airport's facilities. This includes, for example, the costs of security and other services for passengers. Before the airport charges are determined, the airlines flying to and from Eindhoven Airport are consulted. The airport charges are then fixed for one year.

Electric flying: Eindhoven Airport believes in the continued development of innovations in aviation. We believe that electric flying can make a significant contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions from air traffic. That is why we are going to test electric flying together with Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Groningen Airport Eelde and Maastricht Aachen Airport. In the Power Up test, we also learn the effects of electric flying at the airport. The trial is supported by Royal Schiphol Group and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Center. It will take some time before commercial flights with electric aircraft are offered, but steps are being taken. The first electric passenger flights between airports in the Netherlands are expected to be operated within five years. Research by M3 Consultancy shows that initially it is possible to fly within about 500 kilometers, with the potential for distances of up to 1000 kilometers. Power Up first wants to experiment with 4 to 9-seaters in the Netherlands. In time, larger aircraft can be developed and a European network can be set up. 

Read more about the Power Up trial here. 

Flying more efficiently: By creating a joint European airspace, emissions from air traffic can be reduced by ten percent. Aircraft can then fly in a direct line, consume less fuel and emit less. At this moment that does not regularly happen because each country has its own airspace and national air traffic control. Eindhoven Airport, as part of the Schiphol Group, is therefore in favor of such airspace. The European project SESAR (Single European Sky) is working together to achieve this. Read more about Single European Sky here. 

Climate agreements: As part of the Royal Schiphol Group, Eindhoven Airport supports the aviation climate agreements that have been made at national, European and global level. We participate in the Sustainable Aviation Table and various other consultation structures and discuss measures to make aviation more sustainable. 

We are also involved in the 'Smart and Sustainable' action plan to accelerate the sustainability of Dutch aviation. This action plan was drawn up by twenty Dutch transport organizations and knowledge institutions. Think of organizations such as KLM and TU Delft. The aim is to jointly reduce CO₂ emissions from the Netherlands to the 2005 level through concrete actions over the next ten years. Measures to achieve this include the use of biokerosene, more efficient flying and hybrid and electric flying. In all cases, CO₂ emissions are reduced because less fossil fuel is used.

Limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, with a clear view of 1.5 degrees Celsius. This is agreed in the Paris climate agreement. In the Sustainable Aviation Agreement agreements have been made about making Dutch aviation and airports emission-free. The agreement has become final with the adoption by the government.

It goes without saying that Eindhoven Airport also ensures that the ground-related activities and traffic at the airport, the arrival and departure hall and the buildings at the airport become emission-free. Eindhoven Airport has set itself the goal of achieving this by 2030. 

Emissions trading system: Since 2012, the European emissions trading system also applies to airlines. For flights within Europe, allowances must be bought to emit emissions. In December 2020, the European aviation network agreed that all inbound and outbound European flights will be CO₂ neutral by 2050. European airports have already done this in 2019. This goal is in line with the ambitions of the European Union. All parties in the aviation sector have worked on a roadmap to achieve this goal together.  

Royal Schiphol Group is a member of various working groups that draw up long-term goals for all airports worldwide. Airport Council International World is in charge of this route. ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) is also working on long-term goals for the entire aviation sector.  

Read the 'Smart and Sustainable' action plan here (in Dutch).

Read about the Sustainable Aviation Agreement here

Read about the agreements of European airports here.

Read more about the ICAO climate agreements here.

Airline measures: An important measure of reducing emissions is the use of aircraft that are more fuel-efficient and emit fewer emissions. More and more airlines are opting for this. Airlines that fly to Eindhoven Airport have also included new and cleaner aircraft in their fleet. In addition, more and more aircraft are equipped with the latest technology, such as winglets, which ensure lower fuel consumption and therefore lower CO₂ emissions. 

But airlines do more. For example, during landings, the runway is approached in a way that requires less engine power and therefore less fuel.

Reducing the weight of and in the aircraft also contributes to lower emissions. In the latest aircraft, the aircraft seats are lighter. Weight is also saved by, for example, less packaging material on board and lighter service trolleys. Less waste is produced, for example by recycling more.    

Furthermore, many airlines have a CO₂ compensation program. This allows travelers to offset their CO₂ emissions by making a financial contribution to this program. This money is used, among other things, for planting trees or investing in sustainable energy projects or sustainable aviation fuels. 

Combating human and wildlife trafficking: Royal Schiphol Group and, therefore, Eindhoven Airport are actively committed to tackling human trafficking via the airport. We are also alert to the development of wild life trafficking. We work together with national and international partners to tackle this trafficking, which is desperately needed. Unfortunately, it has become apparent that aviation is regularly used directly or indirectly for this illegal trade. 

Private and public parties also actively cooperate in sharing information about subversion and jointly agreeing on measures to be taken. The subversion report drawn up by the Marechaussee serves as a basis for this.