Manchester Airport has welecomed the launch of the UK government’s Jet Zero Strategy to support the aviation sector to reduce CO2 emissions.
Launched at this week at the Farnborough Air Show, the strategy outlines the government’s approach to balancing the benefits to the UK economy of its aviation sector with the need to cut carbon emissions ahead of the 2050 Net Zero target. The strategy includes a commitment to begin construction on five Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production sites by 2025, and for SAF to account for 10% of jet fuel by 2030, with all domestic flights carbon neutral by 2040.
Alongside the launch of the strategy, Manchester Airports Group (MAG), the UK’s largest airport operator, has set out its own pledges to drive its industry towards net zero aviation:
- Jet Zero Education: MAG will develop new Jet Zero educational materials. At Manchester these will be delivered at its AeroZone educational facility, and on-site Airport Academy, to improve understanding of how aviation plans to reach net zero. The Group will supply these materials to other Jet Zero Council members and to schools in the areas around its three airports.
- Jet Zero Research: MAG will fund three PhD projects on air travel decarbonisation to support the work of the Jet Zero Council
- Jet Zero Technology: MAG will launch a new competition offering five years of free landing fees to the first zero-emission aircraft operating transatlantic flights from its airports.
- Jet Zero SAF: MAG will create a financial incentive as part of its charging arrangements to encourage airlines to go further than the UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate on flights from its airports. Last year Manchester became the first UK airport to secure a direct pipeline of aviation fuel, when it signed a memorandum of understanding with Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd
- Jet Zero Airspace: MAG is committed to delivering airspace modernisation at its airports at the earliest opportunity as a key lever of decarbonisation. Manchester Airport launched its Airspace Modernisation Programme in 2019 and continues to progress with it
MAG CEO Charlie Cornish said:
“Decarbonisation is one the most important issues facing our society and at MAG we are committed to playing a full role in the aviation industry achieving Net Zero.
“The publication of the Jet Zero Strategy is an important recognition by Government of the commitments made by our industry for a more sustainable future.
“With the pledges we have announced today, we will be working even more closely with our industry partners and the UK Government through the Jet Zero Council, to make real and measurable progress against the targets we have in place.”
MAG’s Jet Zero pledges will support existing action on climate change being done by the group, including at Manchester Airport, which has been carbon neutral since 2016.
In Autumn last year, the global gateway further strengthened its decarbonisation credentials by launching two initiatives on-site. These include its CarbonClick product, where passengers travelling with any airline can offset their flights online. It also announced plans to become the first UK airport to secure a direct pipeline of sustainable aviation fuel by creating a partnership with Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd. It is intended SAF will be supplied to Manchester Airport through a pipeline that already runs between Stanlow and the UK’s third largest gateway.
Charlie Cornish added:
“MAG has always taken a proactive and ambitious approach to decarbonisation for over a decade, and I am proud of the work we have delivered over that time. Our landmark partnership with Fulcrum BioEnergy UK on SAF and the important progress we are making with airspace modernisation at our airports shows that we are committed to playing our part in achieving net zero by 2050.”
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said:
“The UK is setting an example of the ambition needed to tackle climate change, and the Jet Zero Strategy provides a clear path to building a greener aviation sector for generations to come.
“Crucially, reaching net zero will require the whole industry to pull together. I welcome the commitments MAG has made, and look forward to supporting it and the rest of the UK’s aviation sector to be at the forefront of this green revolution.”