The Canadian Rockies International Airport is focusing on more ways to make the industry greener.
Airport manager Tristen Chernove says air travel contributes to up
to 2.5 per cent of global C02 emissions, and up to 4 per cent of total greenhouse gas emission impacts.
“If the industry doesn’t change we are going to see that number rise to 12 or 27 per cent by 2050,” he added.
Chernove said the industry hasn’t been adapting as quickly as it’s been growing.
“Proportionally flying has become less costly over time which is why we have such a concentration of greenhouse gasses in this industry. If we look back to even when I was an infant, in 1978 it was 50 per cent more expensive to fly than it is now,” he said.
“This affordability has made air travel more commonplace but we haven’t really adapted in the ways that we do that until now and I’m really excited to be in the industry now because I think we are finally reaching that point to evaluate how we are doing this.”
He said electric and electric-hybrid aircraft are starting to come out and that an airport like the one here is a perfect location.
“We are sort of in the ideal market for where those electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell aircraft will be utilized. They are generally going to be in a 30-seat or less aircraft with 300 nautical miles or less in range. In many ways, this is more exciting for us as a regional airport than a large hub airport.
However, he said they probably won’t be getting any here for at least a few more years.
In the meantime, the airport is finding other ways to be more green.
This includes changing the runway lights to more efficient ones and changing airport vehicles to electric ones.
