Airports globally face increasing pressure to operate sustainably, driven by stringent regulations and stakeholder demands.

The push for lower emission flights, coupled with infrastructure upgrades to support alternative fuels and next-generation aircraft, presents significant economic and operational challenges for airlines, airports, and passengers alike.

Failure to adapt risks regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and loss of support from environmentally conscious consumers and investors. Airports, as major transportation hubs, are key contributors to greenhouse gas emissions - not only through aircraft operations but also via the construction, maintenance, and management of vast infrastructure networks.

The shift to sustainable practices calls for innovative, cost-effective solutions that prioritise sustainability and long-term operational efficiency. By leveraging advanced materials, technologies, and practices, Downer can play a pivotal role in helping airports reduce their carbon footprint and enhance lifecycle performance.

Partnering for Greener Airports through:

1. Advanced Pavement and Surfacing Solutions

Downer leads the way in sustainable pavement solutions that improve durability while reducing emissions. Key products include:

  • High-Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) Mixes: Maximising the use of recycled materials without compromising quality.
  • Reconophalt: Incorporates waste products like soft plastics and glass, reducing reliance on virgin materials.
  • Warm-Mix Asphalt: Produced at lower temperatures, reducing energy use and emissions.
  • EME2: High-performance asphalt enabling thinner pavements with extended lifespans, 
  • BioBind: A sustainable binder technology supporting eco-friendly asphalt production.

These products help to support customer’s sustainability goals and reducing their Scope 3 emissions through procured products.

2. Pavement Preservation for Extended Asset Life

Innovative solutions such as Rhinophalt™ and Enviroshield enable airports to extend pavement lifespans, reducing the need for intensive maintenance and its associated carbon impact. Benefits include:

  • Enhanced surface durability, reducing water permeability and oxidation.
  • Cost-effective maintenance with fewer resource-intensive interventions.
  • Flexible maintenance planning, minimising disruption to airport operations.
  • Significant reductions in lifecycle carbon emissions.

By prioritising sustainable materials and lifecycle-focused strategies, Downer is committed to help airports transition to greener operations while delivering long-term economic and environmental benefits.

Bio Bind-contractor and consultant collaboration to prove application in the airfield environment

Bio Bind is a low carbon bitumen replacement derived from over 70 per cent renewable resources. The product offers a solution which reduces the embodied carbon emissions in asphalt while delivering uncompromised performance and resilience. 

Bio Bind contains significantly less embodied carbon than traditional fossil fuel-based bitumen—mitigating the associated environmental impacts.

In collaboration with a consultant-partner and through our partnerships with local universities, we have been testing Bio Bind across a range of temperatures and loading conditions to prove its performance in the airfield environment. Results show that Bio Bind demonstrates superior low-temperature properties (better fatigue resistance) and high-temperature performance (less deformation) compared to standard bitumen. See results below. Testing is continuing, with the next step to move to trials in the airfield environment.

Bio Bind testing results show very favourable performance outcomes when compared to standard bitumen.