Luis Muñoz Marín Airport recognized for its green initiatives
The airport received the sustainability award in a competition that included 24 other airports and companies from around the world.
The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) was recently honored with the “Airports Going Green 2024” award by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and the Chicago Department of Aviation.
The recognition highlights the sustainability program of the island’s primary airport as a leading example among 24 U.S. airports and companies nominated in various categories, explained Jorge Hernández, president of Aerostar, the airport’s operator.
The award was presented at the AGG Awards ceremony in Chicago, which was attended by more than 200 senior executives from the aviation industry.
The AAAE evaluation panel stated that SJU’s program is a model to follow for its innovation and leadership in sustainability, not only within the airport sectors in the Caribbean but also internationally.
The awarded program includes various initiatives, such as a sustainability plan, a zero emissions road map, airport carbon accreditation, environmental exhibits, the SJU Clean & Green campaign, and tree-planting efforts. These actions aim to transform the airport into an environmentally friendly and efficient facility.
“This is one of the most significant recognitions of environmental and community protection in the aviation industry,” said Hernández.
“We’re proud to have been selected as the best program of its kind for this year by a panel of judges made up of industry experts,” he added. “The result of their evaluation, which earned us the award, is an important validation that the actions and projects we have implemented since we created the Sustainability Department in 2023 have been correct.”
The airport’s sustainability plan, which was completed in 2023, comprises six categories: climate resilience, water conservation, energy management and emissions reduction, waste and natural resource management, and workforce integration.
Of the 67 initiatives outlined, 16 have been completed, including an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, and eight are currently underway, Hernández added.
“We’re very pleased with this recognition for the efforts we have made to make our main airport a green one,” said Jaime Pabón, the airport’s sustainability director.
In addition, the airport’s Taxiway H remodeling project earned the “Green Airport Recognition 2024” from the International Council of Airports of Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC) in the “Circular Economy” category. The project, recognized during the ACI-LAC 2024 Annual Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, involved recycling and reusing materials to make air transport activities more sustainable.
As part of the project, existing concrete pavement was crushed and reused as a base for repairs using a “rubblization” technique. This approach saved $7 million in construction costs, avoided 450,000 cubic feet of waste disposal, and reduced material transportation by more than 2,500 trips.
ACI-LAC also included the project in a document on industry best practices, positioning SJU as a model for other airports.
