ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sustainability is now central to airport operations globally, with international organizations emphasizing goals around Water, Waste, Emissions, and Energy. While some airports have already achieved these goals, others are implementing structured roadmaps. Noida International Airport (NIA), India’s newest greenfield airport which aims to become the country’s first Net Zero airport by 2030. Key sustainability initiatives are being integrated during the construction phase, with more to follow once operations commence.
Water neutrality means balancing water consumption with recharge or conservation is a critical element of sustainable airport operations. It focuses on minimizing freshwater use and enhancing recycling and reuse. NIA's Net Zero strategy includes targets for Water, Energy, Emissions, and Waste, with water neutrality forming a core component to be achieved by 2030. A robust Pavement Management System (PMS) is essential for maintaining runway, taxiway, and apron infrastructure, improving operational efficiency, and minimizing downtime. It ensures safety for maintenance personnel and supports the projected 3.5 million passengers and 0.75 Metric Tonnes of cargo annually at NIA. Perimeter Security Management involves deploying advanced physical barriers, surveillance, and real-time monitoring to protect critical infrastructure from unauthorized access. As NIA becomes operational and air traffic increases, modern perimeter security will be crucial, especially with a projected capacity of 70 MPPA by 2049.
Baseline benchmarking, such as water consumption per passenger, was derived from international airport sustainability reports. Pavement and perimeter data were gathered through field surveys. Additional information came from verified secondary sources, including research papers, reports, and books. GIS tools like ArcMap, AutoCAD 2D/Civil 3D, and Google Earth Pro were used for mapping and analysis. Due to security restrictions and time constraints as operations near launch, data access was limited. However, EIA and EC documents were considered, and rainwater harvesting ponds have been constructed to conserve surface runoff from airside infrastructure.
Keywords: Water Neutrality, Pavement, Perimeter Security, Benchmarking, Greenfield Airport, Net Zero, Million Per Passenger Per Annum (MPPA), Environment Impact Assessment, Environment Clearance.
