Newcastle International Airport has outlined work it is doing to improve its corporate and social responsibility with the publication of its first annual CSR report
The airport has highlighted work it has done on community engagement, sustainability and boosting the local economy. Setting itself targets in 21 separate areas, the airport says it is “committed to delivering clear and transparent communication on this important agenda”.
The report – which is published on the airport’s website – also sets targets for the year ahead, with the airport aiming to reduce its carbon emissions by 25%, improve food and drink offerings in the airport and review its noise action plan. It comes as passenger numbers at the airport have started to recover after the pandemic, topping 4m in 2022 and falling significantly during travel restrictions linked to Covid.
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Airport chief executive Nick Jones said: “The airport is part of a community and we are committed to doing what we can to benefit all our stakeholders.
“We want to ensure that the airport will continue to support economic growth in the region, be a great place to work, be a responsible neighbour and reduce our environmental impact. We believe that the sustainability of the airport is the key to unlocking a better future for the North East and achieving our vision.”
Among the measures highlighted in the 2022 report, the airport has pointed to a £15m green loan that will link the delivery of key infrastructure projects with moves to decarbonise the its operations. Work has completed on the construction of a large solar farm at the airport, which aims to provide a proportion of its energy needs. There was also highlighting of its impact on the regional economy, with 2,500 direct jobs at the airport and a £420m impact on the region’s output.
Last month the UK’s aviation industry as a whole launched a new sustainability plan, which aims to increase the use of cleaner aircraft fuel and said there was a “clear, credible path to take the carbon out of flying”. But many analysts and environmental groups believe the sector has much more work to do to fully decarbonise and that flying will remain environmentally damaging for some time.
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