Air quality

The issue: Air quality is a concern both locally and nationally. Aircraft and road vehicles at and around airports produce a number of pollutants that affect human health and the environment.

In the Borough of Eastleigh an air quality management area was declared covering Leigh Road, Romsey Road, Southampton Road and Wide Lane in February 2005. These air quality impacts are thought to be caused in the main by non-airport related road vehicles due to the proximity of the M27 and M3 road networks and commuter and commercial traffic movements associated with local industry in Eastleigh.

The air quality pollutants of concern are predominantly nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particles (PM10). These pollutants are produced largely as a result of the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil (including oil derived fuels such as petrol and diesel). These pollutants are emitted by a number of sources including road vehicles, aircraft and support equipment. However, our airport’s contribution to the local air quality in the air quality management area is very small.

Our approach: We aim to focus on the ongoing implementation of the air quality strategy during 2006/07. This strategy was published in December 2006, and set a number of objectives for managing air quality impacts to 2011. It makes a clear distinction between climate change and local air quality due to the nature of the way in which these impacts are felt and how BAA manages the two impacts.

Along with the BAA’s activities on climate change, we have specific objectives in relation to our environmental impact. These objectives aim to manage energy use (both gas and electricity) and thus the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is emitted to the environment due to the airport’s operation.

Our performance: The local objectives in the air quality strategy were based on the findings of a study completed by ENTEC consultants, who investigated the airport’s impact on local air quality. The most significant finding of the air quality study is that only 5.55% of the total pollutants (NOx) are attributable to all airport activities. The majority of pollutants in the local area come from other non-airport related road traffic.

The study found that Southampton Airport’s contribution to the local air quality pollutants in the air quality management area equated to only 1.64% for PM10 and 0.54% for NO2. The report also highlighted that the majority of this small contribution could be attributed to road vehicles associated with the airport. This means that attention will primarily be focussed on managing road vehicle impacts through our surface transport strategy. There are also objectives relating to ground support equipment and aircraft operations on the ground.

A number of the objectives in the air quality strategy are already underway including:

• The publication of the Southampton Airport surface access strategy which aims at increasing the number of passengers travelling to and from the airport by public transport. Southampton Airport is actively working with transport operators and local councils to improve information and transport infrastructure. 
• Encouraging staff to travel to and from work using alternative methods to the single occupied car. For example, around 10% of airport staff currently car share to and from the airport.
• Annual carbon dioxide reduction targets for the airport against business as usual, including tracking monthly performance at the airport’s Sustainability Board.
• Exploring new methods of reducing energy conservation by trialling new technology such as LED lights which use less electricity than standard light fittings.

Going forward: During 2007, Southampton will focus on working towards achieving the objectives of the air quality strategy 2006-2011.