British Aviation Group Chair, Matthew Butters, shares his perspective on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the UK’s airport sector.
This article, “Facing the future”, was written by Matthew Butters, in the June issue of Regional Gateway. To access similar articles from our magazines, apply for your complimentary subscription to Regional Gateway.
With passenger recovery from the pandemic complete, the UK’s airports are now focused on growth. This however is different to the 2019/20 growth scenario. This time around, airports are looking for resilient, economically sound and environmentally sustainable growth. Along with this are the current trends of creating a more inclusive passenger experience, taking more of a transport hub perspective by understanding and improving the whole passenger journey from home to destination and looking at digital innovation to increase efficiency and create a seamless passenger journey from kerb to gate.
Airport technology to advance passenger experience
Achieving sustainable growth brings challenges and opportunities. Resources are scarce and training new entrants into the industry is time consuming. UK’s Airport operators and airlines are looking at innovative solutions to increase operational productivity and balance staff shortages. Digital technology is moving rapidly forward and artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a key component in passenger journey solutions. A great example of this is the wider use of biometric processes. In the future travellers will increasingly use their own faces as door openers and be able to leave their boarding passes in their pockets.
Smiths Detection’s CT scanners are enhanced with AI-based automatic threat detection.
CT scanners will also let them clear security checks without having to take items out of their carry-on baggage. The initial results of increased flows as a result of these new scanners is incredibly positive and benefits both the airport operators and their passengers. All these technological advances will combine to make flying more pleasurable than ever. The drive is for the passenger to spend less time on checks and more time enjoying the departure lounge offerings.
Operational efficiency through innovative energy solutions
Alongside the improvement in the passenger journey is the drive for greater operational efficiency, reduced energy costs, reduction of the UK’s airports’ carbon emissions and an increased reliance on sustainable energy. This includes greater use of EV equipment on both the airside and landside operations, reduced energy costs in the terminals and the emergence of sustainable aircraft refuelling facilities on airport. This impacts both new and existing assets and the move towards energy positive buildings and the circular economy are two examples where airports see substantial opportunities to reduce their carbon footprint while at the same time reducing OPEX and CAPEX investment costs. By 2030 many airports are looking to have slashed their net-zero carbon emissions by more than 75%.
Aviation investments within the industry
The UK Aviation Sector with its dominance of private investment in airport ownership is in a unique position when compared with the European and US airports ownership structure. This brings both challenges and opportunities. On the challenges side, large scale capital investments are hampered by the buoyant UK infrastructure market resulting in rising labour and material costs putting off investors, making the capability of the UK aviation market to deliver airport expansion and sustainability a challenge like never before. This will be particularly challenging for regional airports to afford expansion programmes as they will be competing in a very hot and congested market.
On the opportunities side, through initiatives generated by the UK target for Net Zero Carbon in Aviation by 2050, the Jet Zero Council is supporting development of the different technologies that are emerging (hydrogen, SAF, electric etc). Although the UK aviation market competes with more expansive sectors such as rail and highways for these new technologies, the UK aviation market is forging ahead and regional airports such as Newcastle and Bristol airports are leading the way.
Newcastle International Airport’s initiatives
Newcastle International Airport in the north of England has achieved Level 3: Optimisation of the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) scheme for its efforts to reduce its carbon emissions.
Front of Newcastle International Airport, an airport that is committed to its net zero goals and decarbonisation.
The airport is committed to decarbonisation across the entire site. This is demonstrated through a series of impactful CO2 reduction initiatives, including the installation of a solar farm that can provide 100% of the airport’s electricity demand on a sunny day. It’s fantastic to see the airport not only progressing further towards its target to reach net zero by 2035 for CO2 emissions under its control, but also engaging with its airlines and other operational partners using the airport to reduce their own emissions.
Collaborations to achieve net zero
Meanwhile, Bristol Airport in the southwest has joined forces with low-cost carrier, easyJet, to trial a range of initiatives in line with its long-term ambition of achieving net zero operations at the airport. The partnership will involve a series of trials all geared towards the overall ambition to achieve a net zero emissions turnaround at Bristol alongside taking steps to contribute positively towards reducing easyJet’s overall carbon footprint. The joint partnership will study a wide range of cutting-edge developments and operational efficiencies, with the low-fare carrier using Bristol Airport as a test bed to trial and implement the latest technological and innovative solutions for decarbonising its operations and reducing waste.
This opens the debate as to whether airports could become energy hubs or “enerhubs”, in their own right. Heathrow for example uses the same amount of power in a day as the Isle of Wight, so this thought is not unprecedented. Challenges will be faced, not least the interface with the pending restructuring of our Nation Grid system, required potentially to feed the electric car market of the future. The timescale and demands are uncertain, and aviation is still relatively small in comparison to other sectors.
Meet Matthew Butters
Having started working in the aviation industry in 1997, Butters has been continuously involved in airport projects ever since. He is an architect specialising in airport terminal design and master planning and has been involved in the design of airport terminals in the UK and abroad. A BAG Board Member since 2017, Deputy Chair since 2023, he has led a number of BAG’s missions overseas responsible for championing the UK’s airport supply chain capability at home and abroad.
More about the British Aviation Group
The British Aviation Group represents British companies involved in aviation and airport development and operations. They work with the UK Department for Business and Trade to help global aviation clients connect with the world-class expertise of the British aviation sector. The British Aviation Group represents around 200 companies from across the supply chain.
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