Airports are the very symbol of globalization, connecting goods, people and countries, and driving socioeconomic development. In recent years though, aviation’s core function has shifted and expanded, with the climate emergency necessitating a drive toward sustainability.

In light of this, the Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC), incubated by the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, has worked with Airports Council International (ACI) and Oliver Wyman to create the report, Future of Airports: Flight Path to 2030, 2040, and 2050.

This uses insights from 18 CEOs at some of the world’s leading airports to outline the trends shaping the industry’s future, as well as the actions that leaders, governments and regulators can take to pave the way forward.

The study reveals the potential of airports to act as leaders, driving the aviation industry toward its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, while allowing faraway parts of the planet to be reached faster and more efficiently, and continuing to push forward with digital innovation to meet the technological demands of consumers. 

Reducing and eliminating emissions for a greener tomorrow and the implementation of green innovations are no longer nice-to-haves. They’re the minimum expectation of customers and shareholders, and a necessity to avoid a climate catastrophe. Airports’ unique position within the sector allows for them to act as leaders, promoting an emissions reduction across the entire aviation landscape.

The most meaningful impact they can make today is to their own operations. Airport facilities such as lighting and cooling account for 46% of energy usage, highlighting the urgency of on-site energy saving initiatives, such as renewable energy investment, sustainable material use for infrastructure expansion and enhanced energy efficiency.

Shining examples of this can be seen in Europe and the Americas. In 2021, Swedavia—the operator of 10 airports in Sweden—became the first airport group to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions. Investing SEK650 million ($60 million) between 2015 and 2020, the company reduced its net emissions from approximately 8,000 tons per annum a decade ago by switching to renewable energy sources and using electric and bio-gas airport vehicles.

Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), meanwhile, has become the first carbon-neutral airport in the Americas, and in the process has countered claims that environmental measures and financial growth are mutually exclusive. For example, highly efficient plumbing fixtures lowered customer water usage across all five terminals, saving millions of gallons each month; its partnership with neighboring cities allowed DFW to use 126 million gallons of reclaimed water in 2018; and in the same year, the airport reduced electricity costs by 27%.

Where airports are expanding, we are also seeing a central focus on emissions reduction. King Salman International in Saudi Arabia will accommodate 120 million travelers annually by 2030 while retaining a core focus on sustainability.

While airports are in the throes of change as they seek to achieve net zero, there is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink and enhance the entire airport experience for workers, airlines and consumers.

Take, for example, advances in AI. Airports produce reams of data that isn’t interpreted or analyzed. This data might help allow for an understanding of flight connection patterns to further reduce distances consumers need to walk and decrease delays caused by congestion.

It is not just efficiency that is driving these shifts, but the expectations of customers. Progressively more travelers are embracing digitization, with 45% of air travel passengers saying they are ready to drop paper passports for digital identities. By 2050, we expect to see an internationally recognized digital identity for all passengers. This use of data, digital identity and sophisticated solutions will improve the experience of travelers while the industry works to reduce emissions and increase efficiencies.

The world of tomorrow has environmentalism at its heart, and airports must use their position at the nucleus of the aviation industry to drive progress toward net zero. Simultaneously, harnessing technological innovation will enhance the customer experience and lay the foundations for the future of air travel, one that is faster, simpler and greener.

Gloria Guevara is chief special advisor to the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and a former secretary of Tourism for Mexico.