Maceió International Airport leads ANAC sustainability ranking

Managed by Aena, Maceió International Airport came first in the ranking of Sustainable Airports published annually by the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) in Class III, a category that includes aerodromes that receive up to five million engers per year. The result of the award was announced by the agency this Thursday (6).

Renovated structure
Sustainability is a theme that cuts across all of the concessionaire's activities, and guides decision-making, such as, for example, structural works at airports. In July 2023, Aena reopened the Alagoas aerodrome with expanded and completely renovated spaces and improved operational areas, establishing new quality parameters in the management of all activities, from environmental and safety adjustments to expansions and restructuring of physical spaces, including modernization of equipment.

Environmental commitment
From the outset, energy efficiency and attention to climate impacts were on the agenda. The energy used at the airport is 100% renewable, purchased from certified sources through the free market. A drainage structure was implemented, with channels on the sides of the airfield that take liquid materials to water and oil separator boxes. There was also the modernization of equipment at the chilled water plant, used for air conditioning.

Among the forty criteria evaluated by Anac for the ranking are the evolution in solid waste management, more intense management of atmospheric emissions, improvements in monitoring noise in the surrounding area, mapping of the carbon footprint, investments in air conditioning systems and automation. All lamps were replaced with LEDs and the visualization of environmental indicators was optimized, giving more transparency to the processes. Maceió Airport also now has new wildlife risk management techniques.

Maurício states that the award is also a consequence of the maturation of Aena's internal processes in the state, with the adoption of techniques and methods that are serving as a reference for the other 16 airports that Aena manages in Brazil. This includes the creation of an Environmental Management System (SGA) manual, the promotion of aeronautical noise and fauna risk management committees and the intensification of environmental education actions for the airport and surrounding communities and the construction of the Specific Plan Airport Noise Zoning Policy.