Designing tomorrow’s airport
As global demand for air cargo continues to rise, airport operators and ground service providers are under pressure to modernize aging infrastructure while meeting ambitious environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets. At the ASA Global Ground Handling Leadership Forum in Copenhagen, leaders from dnata, Menzies Aviation, SATS and TCR shared their perspectives on how airports are evolving to meet the demands of sustainability, human-centred design and technological innovation.
Sustainability without interruption
Modernizing airport infrastructure for sustainability is not just a matter of installing new technology. Nour Salman, Vice President of Commercial Freight Support at dnata, highlighted the complexity of retrofitting decades-old facilities to accommodate electric fleets and renewable energy. “When you compare what you need to do to modernize and enable an electric fleet or renewables, especially given the current operating model, there is going to be a lot of disruption,” she said.
Salman recommended a phased approach, focusing on “quick wins” such as manual mobility, digitization, going paperless, and system modernization, while also prioritizing employee workflow and safety. She pointed to dnata’s joint venture in Azerbaijan, where charging stations are being designed with environmental, social and governance considerations and employee well-being at the forefront. “You’re putting yourself in people’s shoes, and walking with them through this journey. And that’s really how you design a charging station,” she explained.
This human-centred perspective was echoed by John Geddes, chief governance and sustainability officer at Menzies Aviation. “Sometimes we forget to think about them first when we design things or processes,” he said.
TCR’s Peter Gripdonk added an operational lens, noting that electrification is progressing rapidly but infrastructure remains a major bottleneck. “More than half of our new fleet acquisitions are already electric. Over the life of the GSE, we expect to phase out diesel equipment to accommodate electric vehicle uptake,” he said.
Local ESG strategies
Céline Hourcade, Global Head of ESG at SATS, highlighted the importance of adapting airport infrastructure to climate realities. “We operate in 27 countries… so we have very different climate change scenarios to take into account,” she said. “The challenge is to adapt the infrastructure and the way we work.”
Hourcade described SATS’s approach of linking group-level ESG targets – such as a 50 percent reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 – with regional implementation plans that take into account regulatory, cultural and incentive differences. “We need common standards and guidelines and sharing best practices,” she said. “Together, we rise higher – and this applies to the industry as well.”
Salman explained this principle through Dubai’s initiative to introduce biofuel blends across the airport fleet, which was achieved through cooperation between the airport, ground service equipment teams, original equipment manufacturers and national oil companies. “It was never an easy task… it’s all about collaboration, passion and the drive to really want to make that difference and leave a legacy behind,” she said.
Aligning ESG ambitions with operational realities requires strategic partnerships and long-term planning, added Matt Thomas, Senior Vice President Commercial Europe at Menzies Aviation. “Everyone is talking about ESG considerations, but there is still a real proportion of tactical buying,” he said. “We need to shift from price-focused decisions to long-term strategic collaboration.”
Balancing technology and human skills
Technological innovation promises to reshape airport operations, but human oversight remains essential. Electricity and artificial intelligence are changing the environment of the slopes, while hydrogen-powered equipment faces infrastructure hurdles, Gripdonk said. “Electricity, lithium and high-volume batteries will change the game a lot. Hydrogen will come, but infrastructure is the limiting factor,” he said.
Hourcade highlighted the potential of AI to improve efficiency, safety, training and retention of the workforce. “AI can help us achieve greater efficiency, improve safety, improve training, and improve the attractiveness and retention of our employees,” she said, citing tools such as augmented reality training and exoskeletons.
Geddes stressed that people remain central to operations. “Virtual reality training is great, but if you put someone in the workplace after only a few hours of computer-based training, they disengage,” he said.
Salman spoke about dnata’s data literacy initiative, which trained 240 employees through a combination of electronic platforms and in-person workshops. “We’ve created characters like Data Ninja or Data Samurai… It’s about raising the minimum standards and making them creative and fun across age groups,” she said.
Practical facts
Participants recognized that ESG ambitions must confront practical and geopolitical challenges. Hourcade discussed the potential impact of changes in US policy, stressing the importance of a long-term strategic focus. “Before this, we were all in agreement to say: be prepared, be climate resilient, be better and use renewable energy, be diverse and inclusive… That made good business sense, so we need to stick to that,” she said.
Salman stressed the issue of data-driven sustainability. “Climate change is happening. It is impacting wildlife, biodiversity, communities and businesses. Companies that integrate environmental, social and governance challenges reflect this positively in their profit margins,” she said.
Gripdonk highlighted the practical limits of infrastructure and the gradual transition from older diesel equipment. “Where non-electric GSE is currently used, it will often be redeployed to areas with a slower rate of electricity uptake. It is a gradual phase-out, not a sudden shift,” he concluded.
