Stansted Airport has welcomed the launch of the Government’s Jet Zero Strategy and unveiled its own green agenda.
The Uttlesford hub’s owner, Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which also runs Manchester and East Midlands, has made a series of research, education and technology pledges to support the aviation industry in delivering its goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The UK is setting an example of the ambition needed to tackle climate change, and the Jet Zero Strategy provides a clear path to building a greener aviation sector for generations to come.
“Crucially, reaching net zero will require the whole industry to pull together. I welcome the commitments MAG has made and look forward to supporting it and the rest of the UK’s aviation sector to be at the forefront of this green revolution.”
The strategy, launched at the Farnborough Air Show, includes an interim target of net zero domestic flights by 2040, a new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate to ensure at least 10% of jet fuel is SAF by 2030 and a commitment to ensuring at least five SAF plants are under construction by 2025.
MAG chief executive Charlie Cornish said: “Decarbonisation is one of the most important issues facing our society and at MAG we are committed to playing a full role in the aviation industry achieving net zero.
“Publication of the Jet Zero Strategy is an important recognition by Government of the commitments made by our industry for a more sustainable future.
“With the pledges we have announced, we will be working even more closely with our industry partners and the UK Government, through the Jet Zero Council, to make real and measurable progress against the targets we have in place.
“MAG has always taken a proactive and ambitious approach to decarbonisation for over a decade and I am proud of the work we have delivered over that time. Our landmark partnership with Fulcrum BioEnergy UK on SAF and the important progress we are making with airspace modernisation at our airports shows we are committed to playing our part in achieving net zero by 2050.”
MAG is a founding member of Sustainable Aviation in 2005 and was one of two airport operators to be founder members of the Government’s Jet Zero Council in 2020.
In 2022, it became the first airport operator to be named a Financial Times European Climate Leader two years in a row and was the only airport operator to feature on the list. In 2021, MAG was named the highest performing transport organisation, ranking 37th out of 300.
MAG’s five new Jet Zero pledges are:
- Education – MAG will develop new Jet Zero educational materials for use at its Aerozones and airport academies to improve understanding of how aviation plans to reach net zero. The group will supply these materials to other Jet Zero Council members and to schools in the areas around its three airports.
- Research – MAG will fund three PhD projects on air travel decarbonisation to support the work of the Jet Zero Council.
- Technology – MAG will launch a new competition offering five years of free landing fees to the first zero-emission aircraft operating transatlantic flights from its airports.
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) – MAG will create a financial incentive as part of its charging arrangements to encourage airlines to go further than the UK SAF mandate on flights from its airports.
- Airspace – MAG is committed to delivering airspace modernisation at its airports at the earliest opportunity as a key lever of decarbonisation.
The group will work closely with the Government and aviation industry partners to support the Jet Zero Charter and deliver on its pledges, which make positive contributions to the delivery of UK aviation’s commitment to reaching Jet Zero by 2050.
Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2, one of Stansted Airport’s biggest carriers, said: “Travel and tourism are a force for good across the world and we must pursue a future where this can happen more sustainably.
“Public and private investment is essential to encourage the development of new decarbonisation technologies and we welcome the Government’s commitments. The aviation industry is already contributing over £290m annually… so these revenues should be ring-fenced to accelerate decarbonisation.
“The Government must also increase funding for sustainable aviation fuels to ensure the UK meets its target of five SAF plants under construction by 2025. This will guarantee increased uptake across the industry whilst turbo-charging the potential for SAF to drive job creation, ensuring the UK does not fall behind.”
