Environmentally Sustainable Airport Operations (ESAO) for Europe: Towards Sustainability

Summary:

ESAO project product which is a web-site called ‘SOPHOS’, acting as a central store of environment related resources and unique communication platform, is currently under construction, its first release is expected by the end of 2003 or beginning of 2004. The aim of SOPHOS is to help airport stakeholders (airlines, airports, ANSPs) to make more informed decision when considering environmental options. More…

Background

Aviation offers major economic and social benefits. However aviation's environmental impact is growing due to high traffic growth. EUROCONTROL predicts that lack of airport capacity is emerging as the major constraint on the European ATM system and it could be argued that environment is, or will be, the key airport constraint. In order to mitigate or reduce environmental constraints it is critical that airports properly implement environmental best practice to ensure that airport capacity is increased or maintained.

In response, EUROCONTROL is funding a project referred to as Environmentally Sustainable Airport Operations (ESAO). The deliverable of the project comprises a web-based tool, referred to as SOPHOS, that will be made available free of charge to help airport operational stakeholders and umbrella organisations in environmental matters.

SOPHOS is currently a mock-up version, it is therefore possible to shape and/or refine its scope and functionality according to user expectations. We have started a liaison process with potential users, including Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), airport operators and aircraft operators. The aim is to provide them with an opportunity to define their needs and hence, evaluate the orientation of the project. While ESAO is scheduled to run over 5 years, a first release of SOPHOS web-site is expected by the end of 2003 or beginning of 2004.

Concept

In partnership with stakeholders, ESAO is designed to promulgate and provide a pan-European framework for the development of environmentally sustainable airport-ATM operations and operational capacity, within the EUROCONTROL applicability area.

The ESAO concept aim is to support ATM stakeholders at each airport to achieve one or more of the following objectives depending on an airport's local circumstances:

· Minimise environmental impact

· Deliver more sustainable operational capacity enhancement

· Safeguard future operational capacity

· Maximise operational capacity within environmental regulations

· Harmonise methodologies where beneficial

ESAO web-site deliverable ‘SOPHOS’

SOPHOS will allow users to have ready access to up to date environmental best practice information and the potential to implement at the earliest opportunity. In broad terms, SOPHOS will provide guidance, practical resources, case studies and effective communications facilities for all airport ATM stakeholders in Member States to work within a harmonised European framework.

SOPHOS is a self-contained resource but also provides links to resources provided by others. SOPHOS offers resources in three key and interrelated applications: quantification, evaluation and management. It also gives guidance on Collaborative Environmental Management, referred to as CEM, which is a key concept for undertaking any of those activities.

SOPHOS is divided into 3 main applications: 'Quantify’, ‘Evaluate’ and ‘Manage' together with an 'Overview' section to introduce the user to the site. For each section, the following features as key components are likely to be included:

Overview

· A bulletin board to include the latest news and details of emerging issues. This will be supplemented by e-mail alerts to registered users and members.

· A discussion forum to allow member to access to real-time discussion of real life topics with peers. This will be key both in developing this project in line with stakeholder issues but also in identifying key topics for research and development.

Quantify Application

· Recommended practices and the avoidance of bad practices covering noise and air quality modelling and monitoring and complaints handling.

· Environmental effects to advise users on the sources and nature of environmental effects arising from airport ATM operations.

· Technical resources including, specification support and advice on metrics, their uses and limitations etc.

· On-line resources including, provision of aggregated and airport specific operational data.

Evaluate Application

· Recommended practices on evaluating the significance of environmental impacts.

· Practical resources covering environmental performance indicators (EPI) and benchmarking.

· Knowledge repository including, details of legislation, policy, research reports, planning decisions etc.

· Environmental assessment resource to guide users on how to evaluate environmental impact of options and scenarios etc. This will also address trade-off situations where a choice has to be made between differing impacts.

· Economic assessment resource to help the user to understand and demonstrate the financial and economic costs and benefits of environmental mitigation and operational options and scenarios. This will build on the environmental assessment functionality.

Manage Application

· Recommended practice guidance based on environmental management system principles and incorporating bad practice avoidance.

· Case study repository giving access to real operational examples of others who have implemented best practice.

· Collaborative Environmental Management functionality to advise users on roles, responsibilities and structures needed to ensure effective on-site partnership in dealing with environmental issues.

·Practical resources to provide direct access to mitigation measures such as new CDA guidance etc.

For more information, please contact Maud Rotureau or Ayce Celikel.