Lights Out in Athens Airport for Earth Hour 2016

Athens International Airport. Photo © Facebook – ΟΙ ΟΜΟΡΦΙΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΑΣ ΜΑΣ

For the eighth year in a row, Athens International Airport (AIA) joins the WWF’s global initiative “Earth Hour” on Saturday, March 19. The airport will switch off the lighting of its western runway system (03L/21R), interrupting its operation for one hour, between 20:30 – 21:30 (local time).

At the same time, during “Earth Hour 2016”, lighting in the airport buildings, staff parking lots and other selected airport areas will be reduced.

Aiming to contribute to public awareness regarding the issue of climate change, announcements in the airport’s terminal will be made, informing passengers and visitors about the WWF’s global mobilization and the active participation of AIA.  Moreover, the airport encourages all its employees to participate at home, by dimming or shutting off the lights.  Other members of the airport community will be participating in this symbolic action against climate change, among them Leroy Merlin, Factory Outlet, Shell, Sofitel, Goldair Handling, etc.

Apart from its symbolic participation in environmental initiatives, Athens Airport continuously undertakes actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under its direct control, including the implementation, since 2008, of a Climate Change Corporate Action Plan, which is updated on a yearly basis, and the airport’s participation in Airport Carbon Accreditation, a global voluntary programme to help airports measure and manage their carbon footprint that was launched in 2009. As a result of its efforts, AIA has managed to reduce its CO2 emissions by 42 percent since 2005.