Macaé Airport and Florianópolis International Airport won first place in the Sustainable Airports Award, recognized by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), which assesses and ranks airports for their proactive initiatives related to sustainability in aviation. The Florianópolis terminal was the best evaluated in the category of up to 5 million passengers, while Macaé airport won first place in the category of up to 200 thousand passengers.

The award ceremony took place this Wednesday (21) in Brasília, with the theme “Sustainable Innovations for the Future of Aviation” and disclosed the air and airport operators that implemented the best sustainability practices, according to the adherence of their initiatives to the criteria of the SustentAr programs – aimed at Brazilian air transport companies and Sustainable Airports – aimed at airports. The two projects are non-regulatory and rely on voluntary adherence by participants.

Outstanding among the results that earned Macaé airport the award are the consumption of 100% of energy from renewable sources, the diversion of 75% of waste generated to landfills and a 10% saving in water consumption.
Among the seven items evaluated in the Sustainable Airports program are four central themes developed by the Sustainability Area at Zurich Airport Brasil: energy, water, waste and air quality management.  
Main results:
• Waste: 70% of waste generated at Florianópolis Airport is diverted from landfills and sent for recycling, composting and co-processing; 204 tons of waste, equivalent to 3 full A330 aircraft, in the first five months of this year.
• Energy: 100% of the energy used at the airport comes from a clean and certified source; Use of the BMS, a monitoring and control system that allows for more efficient use of energy. 
• Air quality: drones used in runway inspections reduce the emission of 2,9 tons of CO2 per year; own and certified software for mapping the carbon footprint 
• Water: by the end of 2023, the Florianópolis airport will reach a 45% reduction in water consumption, as a result of investments in innovative processes, such as reverse osmosis (treatment and reuse of air conditioning water); With the storage of rainwater, savings amount to 8 million liters per year. 

“Our commitment to the environment is genuine. That is why we have pioneering programs at airports in Brazil, such as reverse osmosis, the use of drones and carbon footprint mapping software. The Sustainable Airports Award is a very welcome initiative by Anac to encourage our industry on the path of sustainability,” highlights Ricardo Gesse, CEO of Zurich Airport Brasil.

The numbers of the Sustainable Airports program make up the Environmental Performance Index – IDA of the Ministry of Infrastructure (MINFRA), which verifies the qualitative evolution and socio-environmental commitment of the infrastructure of the transport sector in Brazil.