DENVER (KDVR) – Despite being one of the busiest airports in the world, Denver International Airport According to the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA), it ranks third among the top 50 airport fleets in the country in terms of sustainability. Green Fleet Awards 2023.
Almost 70 million people passed through the DIA last year. Almost seven million passengers passed through the airport in June alone. To handle the high volume of traffic, DIA uses over a thousand different vehicles, from large snow plows to forklifts to smaller equipment such as concrete saws.
Of the vehicle fleet in the DIA, 26% of the fleet is operated with alternative fuels such as natural gas. The Fleet Management department offers natural gas tests for around 300 rental airline vehicles.
“The DEN fleet has a long history of sustainability, dating back to the airport's opening in 1995,” said Phil Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport, in a press release. “Our entire team strives to do its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while balancing operability.”
Denver was just behind the city of Phoenix and Alameda County. DIA was not far from last year's fourth place in sustainability.
What makes an airport fleet sustainable?
When it comes to sustainability, NAFA rank the fleets according to these main criteria:
- Fleet composition and use of alternative fuels
- Environmental benefits of the airport's actions
- long-term planning
- Intercommunal/interorganizational cooperation
- Cooperation activities with vocational schools, high schools, universities, professional associations and the Clean Cities coalitions
- technology applications
- What policies or procedures have been implemented (and enforced) to reduce fleet size, vehicle consumption, and fuel consumption?
- Green driving programs
- Green Procurement Initiatives
- Improvements to facilities
- Ability to research and plan new federal and state grant opportunities for green fleet initiatives
Since 2008, DIA has moved up from the top 10 to the top 3, but there is still progress to be made.
“This award is a recognition and recognition of our maintenance team's passion, dedication and commitment in particular to our goal of becoming one of the world's greenest airports,” Washington said.
