The GMR consortium-AAI run Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport has become the first carbon neutral airport in Asia-Pacific following a series of measures taken by it to reduce carbon footprint, including setting up of a 7.84 MW solar power plant.

• The announcement was made by the international body of aerodrome operators across the world, ACI during the Airport Carbon Accreditation certificate presentation ceremony in Montreal, Canada.

• The Airport Carbon Accreditation has upgraded Delhi Airport to highest level of certification — a level 3+ neutrality — available to airports across the world, according to a release.

• Carbon neutrality occurs when the net carbon emissions over an entire year are zero or when the airport absorbs or offsets the same amount of emission that was generated.

• This achievement is accredited by ACI under Airport Carbon Accreditation that monitors the efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon emissions.

• DIAL, which runs Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, is a joint venture company, in which GMR holds majority stake.

• The ACI has earlier awarded Delhi Airport twice as the world’s number one aerodrome in 25-40 million passengers per annum category under the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programme.

• The passenger traffic at the Delhi airport spiked 18.1 per cent last financial year to 48.42 million as compared to 40.98 million passengers who arrived and departed in FY15.