Budapest Airport has happily flexed its green muscles this week, by achieving the coveted Carbon Neutral status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program.

Hungary’s major airport worked hard to meet the criteria, implementing a range of energy-saving features throughout the terminals and making changes to critical services over the last ten years – and they’re still not done with the carbon-saving initiatives!

Budapest Airport’s environmental director, Gabor Szarvas, is delighted to receive this accreditation, particularly as they are the first airport in the Central-Eastern European region to qualify. ‘In Europe, only thirty airports are in the elite club of carbon-neutral operations, and in Central-Eastern Europe we are the first to receive this accreditation,’ he said.

The airport has reduced the CO2 emission per passenger by as much as 44% over the last five years, and is determined to go even further. Szarvas continued, ‘Since passenger traffic has been increasing significantly, we are continuously working on making the airport operation greener, in the framework of our Greenairport programme.’

The Greenairport program was launched just three years ago, and its aim was to make the operation of the gateway airport ‘sustainable via joint environmental actions.’

Still in the pipeline of improvements yet to come at Budapest Airport include:

• Increase the number of electric vehicles at the airport
• Commission charging stations
• Completion of heating and cooling technologies in Terminal 2B

The installation of LED-based lighting systems, and the refurbishment of district heating pipes and water supply pumps has all contributed to the milestone achievement for the airport and it continues to work towards even greater carbon reductions.

In addition to achieving this coveted status, Budapest airport is also working to encourage its partners to adopt similar sustainable practices, and is promoting its success to show other organisations and authorities what can be achieved with determination, investment, commitment and a firm strategy in place.