The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) has announced the approval of two new emission reduction initiatives aimed at cementing Van Nuys Airport (VNY) as a leader in general aviation airport sustainability following the adoption of similar programmes at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The two initiatives – the Zero-Emission GSE Policy (ZE Policy) & the Zero-Emission GSE Incentive Program (ZE Incentive Program) – will set out to officially mandate the transition of all ground support vehicles (GSE) at the airport to zero-emission (ZE) alternatives and offer 250 million USD worth of reimbursement grants to increase the adoption of ZE GSE at the airport, respectively.
With the introduction of the initiatives, the BOAC hopes to decrease its existing emission output to net-zero by 2030, reducing levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by over 2.29 tonnes, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 465 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) within a similar time-frame.
Karim Webb, President, BOAC, said:Van Nuys Airport is setting the standard as a leader in sustainability, and ensuring that it continues to be a good airport operator and neighbor to the surrounding community.
Sustainability plays a critical role in how Los Angeles World Airports finances, builds, operates, and maintains its airports, and today's new zero-emission policy and incentive program reflect our commitment to building a better, cleaner future.
As part of the new ZE Policy, all vehicles at VNY will be replaced with ZE alternatives by 1 January 2030, with small exceptions made for vehicles with no current commercially available or operationally feasible ZE alternatives.
The policy was devised with feedback from a slew of community members, airport tenants, stakeholders and the overall VNY Citizens Advisory Council.
Jacob Haik, Van Nuys Airport Manager, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), said:Ground support equipment is one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions at any airport, and our actions today will accelerate our progress toward cleaner air, more sustainable operations, and carbon neutrality from airport operations.
Our zero-emission policy and incentive program provide a framework for airports to decarbonise one of the highest-emitting parts of an airport's operations, with Van Nuys Airport leading by example.
Meanwhile, the new ZE Incentive Program aims to accelerate the wider adoption of ZE GSE by providing funding for 250 million USD worth of reimbursement grants for vehicle replacement at VNY, with rebates offered to any operators that have previously purchased ZE GSE in order to replace older, internal combustion models with electric alternatives.
Applications will initially give priority to operators looking to replace the airport’s highest-emitting GSE vehicles in order to provide the largest reduction in the shortest amount of time since the policy’s inception. Older GSE vehicles will be sent for scrapping or relocation out of California.
Officials at VNY anticipate that the reimbursement grants will aid the replacement of up to 20 conventionally fuelled vehicles at the airport, with incentive amounts ranging from roughly 10,000 USD to 65,000 USD, type dependent.
