Darwin International Airport recognised in 2025 Green Airports

Darwin International Airport recognised in 2025 Green Airports Recognition for Sustainable Energy Excellence

“This achievement reflects the work of our dedicated team and partners as we continue to prioritise innovative, future-ready infrastructure for the Territory.”

Airport Development Group (ADG) is proud to announce that Darwin International Airport (DIA) has received a Silver Award in the Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID) Green Airports Recognition 2025, under the category of airports handling fewer than 6 million passengers annually. This is ADG’s third Green Airports Award in four years (2022, 2024 & 2025).

The theme for the 2025 award is Sustainable Energy at Airports, spotlighting the aviation sector’s continued efforts to reduce carbon emissions and lead the transition to clean energy sources.

Darwin International Airport has demonstrated long-term leadership in sustainable energy through a suite of strategic projects and infrastructure upgrades, including:

First installed a 4MW solar array in 2016, which was then the largest airside solar PV installation globally.
Expanded to 7.6MW of solar generation capacity across ground-mounted and rooftop arrays by 2025.
Completed extensive upgrades to its high-voltage network, enhancing safety and reliability of energy infrastructure.
Converted the majority of lighting across the terminal, apron, and airport streets to LED for greater efficiency.
Introduced two electric fleet vehicles to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Invested over $7.5 million AUD in 2024 in a new terminal chiller system, improving cooling efficiency by over 40% and cutting annual carbon emissions by approximately 950 tonnes.

Invested over $7.5 million AUD in 2024 in a new terminal chiller system, improving cooling efficiency by over 40% and cutting annual carbon emissions by approximately 950 tonnes.

These investments have led to material reductions in carbon emissions, substantial energy savings, and improved network capacity—laying the groundwork for future energy storage solutions.

ADG is firmly committed to reducing the environmental impact of its airport operations and has set a target to achieve Net Zero emissions (scope 1 & 2) by 2030.

“We’re honoured to be recognised by ACI APAC & MID for our ongoing commitment to sustainability,” said Sandra de Kock, Executive General Manager People, Culture & Community, Airport Development Group. “This achievement reflects the work of our dedicated team and partners as we continue to prioritise innovative, future-ready infrastructure for the Territory.”

Background – Green Airports Recognition

The Green Airports Recognition was established by Airports Council International, Asia-Pacific & Middle East to promote environmental best practices and reduce aviation’s impact on the environment. The program recognises airports that have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in environmental projects, offering a platform for knowledge-sharing and the celebration of excellence in sustainable airport operations.

The objective of this initiative support and encourage airports to share successful environmental projects across the region, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement as the aviation industry transitions to a more sustainable future.

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