Skyguide sets new standards for eco-friendly air traffic control

Swiss air navigation service provider Skyguide has been rewarded for its commitment to the environment: it is the first air navigation service provider worldwide to achieve full maturity level 3 of the international environmental programme 'GreenATM' (more on this below). This underlines Skyguide's commitment to environmental awareness as an integral part of its corporate culture.

This assessment was carried out by the international air navigation services association CANSO. It acknowledges Skyguide's pioneering role in the sustainable development of air navigation services in Switzerland and further afield. 'This recognition is proof that innovation and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand in aviation,' says Alex Bristol, CEO of Skyguide.

Flight paths play an important role

In 2023, Skyguide became the first air navigation service provider ever to receive GreenATM accreditation. The traffic routes on which air traffic controllers guide aircraft on a daily basis play a significant role in achieving this. Whereas in the past, a network of large routes criss-crossed the Swiss sky, along which air traffic controllers guided aircraft, pilots now have much greater freedom in choosing their flight paths. 'For airlines, this means they can choose more direct routes and therefore need to take on less fuel,' says Bristol. This has a twofold impact on CO2 emissions: shorter routes require less energy. In addition, an aircraft that carries less fuel is lighter and therefore needs less kerosene. 

Skyguide earned this initial environmental recognition thanks to its energy-efficient infrastructure and the environmental awareness of its employees in their respective occupations. Other examples of Skyguide's commitment to the environment include:

• Participation in the Swiss government's "Exemplary Energy and Climate" initiative
• Promotion of direct and freer route selection in air traffic
• Active involvement of employees and partners in environmental projects

'The 2023 award was just the beginning for us,' Bristol recalls. Once they have been rated, air navigation service providers must demonstrate that they are sustainably strengthening their commitment to the environment over a two-year period. Only then will they achieve full accreditation at the respective environmental maturity level.

Drones instead of aircraft measure navigation systems

Skyguide has further stepped up its efforts since 2023 and is now playing a pioneering role in areas such as the regularly required calibration flights. During these flights, technicians calibrate the instruments of the airport landing systems, for example. 'Where possible, we no longer use an aircraft for this, but rely on a drone instead,' says the Skyguide CEO. This measure has a positive impact on the company's ecological footprint.

And so, after several successful audits, CANSO has today confirmed Skyguides ecological maturity level 3 – something no other air navigation service provider has achieved to date.

For Bristol, however, one thing is clear: 'This accreditation is undoubtedly an important step for us and reflects our commitment to sustainability. However, we do not see it as an endpoint, but rather as a milestone in the ongoing development of our pioneering work.' Skyguide intends to further strengthen its commitment to more climate-friendly flight paths. Bristol sees potential for improvement in approach and departure procedures, for example. 'Instead of having aircraft climb or descend in a staircase pattern, as is currently the case, we want to increasingly guide them along a continuously climbing or descending path,' says Bristol. This has a positive effect on fuel consumption.

Box: GreenATM, an environmental standard for air navigation services

The GreenATM programme was launched by CANSO in 2022 to enable the environmental performance of air navigation services worldwide to be compared and improved in a targeted manner through the exchange of information between air navigation service providers. It assesses how environmentally friendly air navigation service providers operate, both in their own processes and in the management of air traffic. Twenty-four topics are reviewed, including infrastructure, operations, energy consumption, procurement and governance. Independent auditors assess the participating air navigation service providers and classify their environmental performance into one of five maturity levels within the programme.

More details on GreenATM: Green ATM Environmental Accreditation Programme - CANSO