Azul implements a conscious fuel use program at two important airports in southern Brazil

Azul Linhas Aéreas, in partnership with Foz do Iguaçu/Cataratas International Airport, in Paraná, and Navegantes International Airport – Minister Victor Konder, in Santa Catarina, began implementing a set of actions to minimize the use of APU during boarding and disembarking of the company's flights. With this measure, two of the most important airports in the south of the country become part of the group of 20 bases that contribute to a reduction of up to 73% in kerosene consumption by aircraft while on the ground.

 

The Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), or Auxiliary Power Unit, is an auxiliary engine located in the tail of some aircraft, used to keep systems operational when the aircraft is on the ground. Thanks to the program and the of the airports, Azul flights, upon landing, are promptly connected to an external source of electrical energy and air conditioning, providing comfort to Customers during boarding and disembarking, without the need to activate the APU and consume fuel.

 

APU Zero, which is already two years old, had Viracopos Airport (V), in Campinas (SP), as a pioneer in April 2022. Currently, the program covers 20 national bases, including, in addition to V, the recently integrated bases in Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) and Navegantes (NVT), and also the airports of Guarulhos (GRU), Congonhas (CGH), Natal (NAT), São Luís (SLZ), Vitória (VIX), Goiânia (GYN) , Curitiba (CWB), Belém (BEL), Florianópolis (FLN), Confins (CNF), Brasília (BSB), Rio de Janeiro (SDU), Cuiabá (CGB), Recife (REC), Salvador (SSA) and Manaus ( HAND).

 

In these two years of operation, Azul saved 50 million liters of QAV (Aviation Kerosene), the equivalent of 20 thousand flights between Congonhas (SP) and Santos Dumont (RJ) airports. The program also contributed to the reduction of 128 thousand tons of CO2, playing a crucial role in environmental preservation and climate change mitigation. This decrease corresponds to the absorption of CO2 by around 5,8 billion trees in one year.

 

According to Daniel Tkacz, Vice President of Operations at Azul, the significant results of APU Zero have encouraged the growth of the program and the interest of other airports that receive the company's more than 900 daily flights. “We noticed a significant reduction in fuel consumption on the ground, reaffirming Azul's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. APU use on the ground decreased from 70% to 20% of aircraft dwell time, resulting in a reduction of more than 71% in the fuel used. At the Navegantes (NVT) and Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) bases, the expectation is that APU use, currently at 44% and 56%, respectively, will soon fall to 10% and 42%”, details Tkacz.