By taking a 49% equity stake in India’s GMR Airports, we have laid the foundation for a new and sustainable industry partnership and created one of the world’s leading airport networks.
Yes, the initial project was developed pre-crisis to deliver growth, but more importantly to improve the passenger experience and take service quality to a new level. The government asked us to abandon the project as originally conceived and to consider new options for the future development of the airport, which became Europe’s largest last year.
We now want to take the time to think about how we transform the airport platform to achieve our ambition of carbon neutrality by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. This means integrating new requirements from the design process onwards to create infrastructures that have the capability to handle hydrogen-powered aircraft and those that use alternative sustainable fuels. In other words, what we have before us is a unique opportunity to work on the future of air transport by acting at a very early stage to incorporate the high expectations passengers and the general public have around issues of aircraft decarbonisation and biodiversity protection.
The high-quality research and design work carried out by our teams over the last three years has allowed us to progress in many different directions, from technical and feasibility studies to the management of public consultation exercises. That work is still useful, and some permanent progress has already been made in areas such as the introduction of continuous descent approaches, which removes the need to descend by a series of levels on final approach; this reduces engine use, saves fuel and limits noise pollution. We’ve also succeeded in identifying practical solutions to operational issues like ground mobility between terminals and waste processing. This unique body of expertise will inform the process of envisioning the future not only for Paris-Charles de Gaulle, but also for all our other airports.
We’re going to continue the necessary process of adapting our financial and employment model, but at the same time, we plan to introduce a long-term framework for passenger trust by reconciling the need for stringent health standards with a rediscovery of the pleasures of travel. This is why we’re experimenting simultaneously with the use of health passports and innovative health technologies in conjunction with the winners of the Safe Travel Challenge innovation competition held in 2020. Innovations like these contribute a wealth of ideas for rethinking the passenger journey and experience. The same applies to every aspect of the Smart Airport concept that uses biometrics and big data solutions to simplify and streamline journeys.
