A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON SUSTAINABLE AVIATION MANAGEMENT: Transitioning Indian Airports Toward Renewable Energy

The rapid expansion of India's civil aviation sector has
intensified energy demand and carbon emissions, making
sustainable airport management an urgent national priority.
This study presents a comparative analysis of renewable
energy adoption and sustainability performance at Cochin
International Airport (CIAL) and Indira Gandhi International
Airport (IGIA), supplemented by a regulatory comparison
between India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA). Primary survey data from 120 respondents measure
passenger awareness and behavioural intent, while
secondary data are drawn from official sources including
DGCA reports, CIAL Annual Reports 2024–25, EASA's
European Aviation Environmental Report 2025, and ACI
accreditation records. Findings reveal that 70% of India's
157 operational airports remain dependent on grid
electricity; India lacks a binding Sustainable Aviation Fuel
(SAF) mandate and a standardized Monitoring, Reporting
and Verification (MRV) framework; and a 7-point
regulatory maturity gap separates India from the EU on SAF
mandates and legal enforceability. Conversely, India holds
three of only four global ACI Level 5 Net Zero airports, and
solar deployment at Tier 2 and Tier 3 airports achieves
disproportionately high CO₂ avoidance per MW due to
India's carbon-intensive grid. The study proposes four
evidence-based policy recommendations targeting grid
independence, SAF mandates, MRV integration, and
domestic carbon pricing.