Airport decarbonisation: electrifying ground operations
Airport decarbonisation: electrifying ground operations
From arrivals to departures: aviation’s ground control
Decarbonisation in the aviation industry goes far beyond just the aircraft. Indeed, the sector’s climate impact is determined as much on the ground as it is in the air. This is increasingly relevant now that flights are climbing back towards pre-pandemic levels, and long-haul journeys in particular leave a disproportionately large footprint.
While most of the public debate focuses on aircraft and fuel, the part of the system with the most immediate room for manoeuvre is on the ground.
Airport operators control the processes and infrastructure that support each and every flight. By electrifying ground operations, i.e. everything from when a traveller arrives at the airport to the moment the aircraft leaves the stand, airports can reduce emissions and stabilise operating costs while improving the overall passenger experience. And all this can be achieved in a relatively short period of time, and certainly well within the current decade.
So, the key question for executives is less “Should we electrify?” and more “How do we turn electrification into a clear, investable roadmap that enhances operations and brand value?”
Our approach to airport decarbonisation is rigorously pragmatic, starting with what the airport already controls. Combining technical expertise and operational accountability, we track performance against clear, shared targets. The aim is to convert the site into a clean power hub, running terminals as high-performance thermal batteries and making APU-off turnarounds the norm. All this is underpinned by a robust data layer, enabling airports to cut emissions and control energy risk while strengthening their prospects for growth.
From climate pressure to leverage on the ground
Regulatory and financial environments are both becoming markedly stricter. Carbon pricing schemes such as EU ETS, Swiss ETS and CORSIA are increasing the cost of emissions and demanding greater transparency. ReFuelEU Aviation is accelerating the rollout of Sustainable Aviation Fuel that airports are required to handle and monitor, and many hubs have publicly committed to net-zero airport operations between 2030 and 2050, in line with ICAO and regional climate goals.
These trends bring risk but also opportunity. Airports that focus on electrification do more than “comply”; they gain a real advantage on the ground:
- A convincing story for regulators and investors, as well as communities, who want to see real action, not just targets.
- A stronger position with airlines and partners that are under pressure to decarbonise their own operations.
- A more attractive offer for passengers who increasingly care how their travel footprint is managed.
Electrifying ground operations is one of the fastest ways to demonstrate progress in full view of all stakeholders, who see and feel the difference in more comfortable airport terminals, not to mention quieter aprons and cleaner air.
Airports are live ecosystems, not just terminals
An airport never shuts down, and this means that any effective decarbonisation effort has to be compatible with the interconnected, always-on reality of airports, where energy, mobility, baggage, security, airfield operations and IT systems all depend on one another.
Drawing on live projects across 150 airports in 70 countries, supported by more than 1,500 specialists and 100 engineers, Equans’ safe, smart and sustainable solutions consistently make the difference between programmes that deliver and those that stall.
Safe by design: Decarbonisation cannot come at the expense of safety or reliability. Electrification must strengthen operations, not disrupt them. This means:
- Predictive maintenance on critical assets.
- Resilient electrical and HVAC systems with clear redundancies.
- Tight coordination across baggage-handling, security, airfield and IT.
Ultimately, management needs clear evidence that on-time performance and safety, as well as the site’s assets, are fully protected while energy systems are being modernised.
Smart through data: Most airports already collect vast amounts of data, but it is often trapped in silos. When control room dashboards, building management systems, digital twins and passenger flow analytics are combined in a single operational view, three things become possible:
- Energy consumption per passenger can be tracked and reduced.
- Anomalies or waste can be spotted early.
- Decisions can be based on real-time evidence instead of assumptions.
Sustainable in practice: On-the-ground sustainability is less about experimenting with new technology and more about improving resilience by rolling out proven solutions at scale:
- Photovoltaic panels and storage.
- Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) or geothermal systems with high-efficiency heat pumps.
- Optimised building management systems.
- Fixed 400 Hz ground power and pre-conditioned air at stands.
All this progress can be tracked through simple, visible indicators, such as APU minutes per turnaround, kWh per square metre or charger uptime.
Three complementary moves to electrify the journey
Electrification works best as a staged journey, organised into a three-part programme that systematically decarbonises every step.
Move 1: Turn your campus into a clean power hub
The passenger journey starts on the ground. Car parks and access roads are the first physical touchpoints with your brand and a major source of emissions.
A green mobility and campus power programme focuses on:
- Turning unused roof space and car park canopies into productive solar assets.
- Deploying smart charging for cars and airport fleets.
- Strengthening on-site power with targeted grid upgrades and, where appropriate, batteries or thermal storage.
From a strategic perspective, a campus power hub does three things at once: it cuts Scope 1 and 2 emissions, brings more predictability to energy bills and creates a visible signal to passengers and staff that the airport is powered increasingly by its own clean energy. It also lays the electrical foundation for deeper electrification across operations.
Move 2: Run terminals as high-performance thermal batteries
Inside the terminal, HVAC systems dominate energy consumption. They are also essential to passenger comfort and safety and have an impact on retail performance. Any solution needs to improve, not dilute, the passenger experience.
A terminal energy programme typically combines two levers:
- Comprehensive electrification of heating and cooling using Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) or geothermal systems with high-efficiency heat pumps. These systems store and shift thermal energy in the ground so that the terminal can draw on it when needed.
- Smarter control of existing equipment using upgraded building management systems (BMS) and hypervision platforms. These continuously optimise set points, schedules and temperatures to maintain comfort levels while reducing kWh per square metre.
For board members focused on business continuity and asset value, terminal retrofits can deliver major thermal upgrades and gas displacement without closing gates or compromising safety. For management teams, well-designed terminal programmes reduce exposure to volatile fuel prices and free up electrical capacity through peak-load shaving. All of these actions support a compelling narrative about comfort and sustainability for airlines and passengers alike.
Move 3: Make clean, APU-off turnarounds the new normal
On the apron, the aircraft stand is the most obvious decarbonisation touchpoint where climate emissions, local air quality, noise and ground safety all meet.
Many aircraft still rely on their Auxiliary Power Units when at the stand. A single long-haul APU run of about 75 minutes can burn around 300 kg of fuel and emit close to 0.95 tonnes of CO₂. Across a day of operations, the numbers add up fast.
A clean turnaround programme focuses on:
- Standardising fixed 400 Hz ground power and pre-conditioned air at stands so that the APU is no longer needed in routine operations.
- Using electric Ground Power Units for remote or constrained positions.
- Embedding APU-off rules into Airport Collaborative Decision Making so that performance is monitored, not just encouraged.
At Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Equans operates and maintains ground power units under an eight-year contract. The initial 26 units, soon to be expanded with 10 additional GPUs, deliver annual savings of 28.89 tCO₂e, representing a 36% reduction in emissions compared with diesel alternatives.
Meanwhile, long-term stand-electrification at European hubs like Geneva and Brussels have made 400 Hz and PCA standard equipment, proving that clean, quiet turnarounds can be delivered at scale with high uptime.
The results make a compelling argument to both passengers and the boardroom: cleaner air for staff and neighbours, measurable reductions in kerosene use and CO₂, and a visible sign at the gate that the airport is actively decarbonising its core operations.
Harnessing operational data for decarbonisation
Equipment alone will not guarantee results. To keep programmes on course, airports need a comprehensive view of what is happening across the site.
Modern Energy Management Systems (EMS) and hypervision platforms act as a control tower for decarbonisation. By aggregating data from meters, EV chargers, HVAC systems, lighting, baggage-handling systems and more, they answer three practical questions:
- Where is energy actually being used?
- Where is there avoidable waste?
- Which actions will deliver the biggest impact for the least disruption?
At Brussels South Charleroi Airport, an Energy Management System now draws on data from more than 300 on-site meters to manage consumption in real time. This valuable data can be used to highlight saving opportunities and support the airport in hitting its efficiency and sustainability targets.
Elsewhere, multi-site deployments with Groupe ADP have linked EV-charging data with building loads and operational constraints. This enables charging to be scheduled to avoid peaks while maintaining service in public and staff car parks. Meanwhile, at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, satellite and in-situ imagery combined with AI are used to map gaseous and particulate emissions at infrastructure scale, helping identify which assets contribute most and where mitigation will matter most.
At the boardroom level, these capabilities transform a complex technical matter into an operational dashboard with a compact set of indicators (including kWh per passenger, share of energy from on-site renewables, APU minutes per turnaround, 400 Hz and PCA uptime, and EV and e-GSE charger utilisation) that can be discussed in the same way as punctuality or revenue.
A roadmap your board can get on board with
Electrifying ground operations does not have to be done all at once through a single, high-risk capital project. It can be structured as a phased roadmap that fits your investment cycles and risk appetite.
Phase 1: Visibility and quick wins: Connect meters and sub-meters, consolidate monitoring in a central control room, fine-tune building controls, launch first rooftop or car-park solar projects and introduce APU-off discipline at selected stands, supported by clear A-CDM timestamps.
Phase 2: Structural upgrades: Roll out ATES and high-efficiency heat pumps in priority terminals, extend stand electrification pier by pier, expand smart charging for fleets and public parking, and strengthen the electrical backbone where needed to support higher loads.
Phase 3: Future-ready apron and fuels: Complete the transition to electric ground support equipment and prepare for higher-capacity ground power for new aircraft types. Roll out SAF-ready fuel logistics along with quality control and traceability, connected to the airport’s data layer for transparent reporting.
Throughout the entire process, governance is as critical as technology. Many airports establish a quarterly steering committee to bring together operations, finance, sustainability and communications around the same live KPIs, such as APU minutes or grams of CO₂e per passenger.
The financial appeal is clear to see: this pace keeps early savings visible and helps rebalance the portfolio between quick-payback actions and strategic capex, further building confidence for larger investments.
From blueprint to greenlight: Equans as your co-pilot on the ground
This transformation can’t take place in a vacuum. It affects heavy engineering, digital systems, critical infrastructure and day-to-day operations that cannot stop. What many airports require is less a technology catalogue and more an impartial energy transition architect who understands live operations and which solutions are tried and tested. This knowledge helps them to build a realistic, budgeted roadmap from quick wins to comprehensive transformation.
With more than 60 years of experience in aviation, relationships with 1,600 airlines and a track record of delivering 600 million passenger experiences, Equans plays that role for operators who want to move from pilot projects to industrial-scale implementation.
In the coming decade, the airports that reach their decarbonisation targets won’t be those who make the loudest promises, but those who show consistent, repeatable results on the ground.
