Friday, Jul 30, 2021, 14:10
Budapest Airport supports local primary school, park renovation
Image by Budapest Airport/Róbert Baranyi
Continuing the window insulation program started several years ago, the airport operator has decided to offer, as of this year, window insulation, window replacement, and other noise insulation-related support to certain institutions near the airport, in addition to noise insulation for residents, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.
In summer 2021, the Kép Street Primary School in District XVII was the first to be selected, based on a proposal of the municipality. This primary school is located in Rákoshegy, where the noise impacts of the airport are still perceptible.
As part of the support, Budapest Airport has undertaken to replace all the windows of the Kép Street Primary School with more modern ones, for a total amount of more than HUF 3 million and to carry out all the organizational and administrative tasks related to the replacement of the windows. The replacement of the old, dilapidated windows will be carried out by fitting new windows that have a sound insulation capacity of at least 34 decibels, thus significantly reducing external noise impacts in the classrooms. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the summer; students will thus be able to return to a more comfortable environment at the beginning of the school year.
The airport operator is undertaking the window replacement in cooperation with the District XVII Municipality, through support provided by the For the Neighbors of Budapest Airport Foundation, with the help of the experts commissioned for this purpose.
Budapest Airport first launched its window insulation program for residents together with nearby districts and settlements in 2008. So far, it has provided window insulation for approximately 700 residential buildings.
BUD supports park renovation in District XVIII
Budapest Airport contributed 15,000 EUR, while majority owner AviAlliance added a further 4,000 EUR to the renovation of Martinovics square near the airport in District XVIII. The park in the vicinity of the airport will be completely renewed, including the playground, benches and covered areas as well.
As a company committed to being a good neighbor, the airport operator and AviAlliance consider supporting local communities a priority. Previously, the majority owner participated in the renovation of the yard of a kindergarten in District XVII. Budapest Airport also handed out hundreds of square meters of outdoor paving slabs to neighboring settlements and during the first wave of the COVID pandemic, it donated IT equipment to educational institutions or children's homes several times in order to support the digital education of as many children as possible.
The operator of Budapest Airport contributes several billion Hungarian forints annually to the revenue of municipalities and to community investments through business and local taxes and allocates subsidies deductible from CIT in a responsible manner to take the needs of local communities into account. Despite the challenges, the company, in the form of local taxes, contributed nearly HUF 4 bln to the development of local municipalities in 2020, a year severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Budapest Airport purchases green energy
Budapest Airport purchased 840 MWH of green energy, taking another step towards its sustainability objectives. The purchased electricity equals the monthly electricity consumption of 3,500 households of a family of four people. Electricity company ELMŰ-ÉMÁSZ issued a green certificate to the airport operator for this environmentally friendly decision. This document is provided to those who purchase green energy and take action for a greener future.
As a responsible airport operator, Budapest Airport supports economic growth and the reduction of environmental burdens at the same time. Sustainability is one of the main pillars of the company's long-term strategy, and, within this framework, we pay special attention to the reduction of CO2 emissions, waste management, promoting e-mobility and mitigating noise burdens.
In 2018, Budapest Airport was the first in Central and Eastern Europe to obtain ACI (Airports Council International) carbon-neutral accreditation, which it has maintained for four years in a row. The airport was also proud to receive the ACI Europe Eco-Innovation award. The reward for mitigating the environmental impacts of the airport recognized Budapest Airport's program and developments promoting sustainable transportation and e-mobility.
The airport operator also established the Greenairport program in 2015, in order to achieve its sustainability objectives, which makes it possible for the airport and its partners to work together and support each other in reducing the carbon footprint of their operations, passengers, and airlines. The objectives of the program include reducing the CO2 emissions and the energy consumption of the airport, establishing ways to use renewable energy sources, and developing electric mobility. Reducing water consumption, phasing out single-use plastics, and further developing selective waste collection at the airport are also amongst the focus areas of the program.
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