Map of Environmental Aspects

Frankfurt Airport is a truly intermodal transport hub, with road, rail and air services closely interlinked. This enables both passengers and employees to take public transport to and from the airport and thus help to protect the environment. Mobility and accessibility are among the key prerequisites if today’s transport and economic policy is to be shaped in an economically efficient and socially responsible way. Fraport AG will continue to improve intermodal services in an effort to increase the percentage of passengers using public transport to travel to and from the airport. “Sustainable mobility” means avoiding environmentally unfriendly methods of transport wherever possible. There also needs to be a shift toward environmentally friendly routes and means of transport, which has to be made socially and environmentally responsible.

Frankfurt Airport is making increased use of rainwater, treated water from the nearby Main river, and well water. This has cut the consumption of drinking water. Fraport operates several facilities for treating rainwater, which turn rain- and groundwater into process water. Water from the Main is fed into the treatment facilities during periods of low rainfall to ensure an adequate supply of process water. The company is steadily expanding its use of this kind of water.

Waste management has changed substantially since the early 1990s. The German Waste Management Act (KrWG) entered into force in June 2012, signaling an end to the throwaway and landfill society and a major step toward a circular economy. Working together with airlines, suppliers and other companies, therefore, Fraport AG is committed to avoiding waste in the first place. If any is produced, the company will recycle the materials it contains or turn it into energy or heat, for example.

Frankfurt Airport owns land spanning a total area of 22.97 square kilometers (2016 figures). Unsurfaced areas on the premises are covered with greenery as a basic principle. Green spaces some 600 hectares in size lie between the southern parallel runway system and Runway 18 West. As the airport’s operator, Fraport AG is obliged to minimize the risk of bird strikes. As a collision with individual birds and, in particular, with flocks of birds poses a hazard for aircraft, we focus on targeted habitat management. In other words, Fraport designs the airport grounds to be unattractive for bird species that could endanger aircraft.

The main forms of energy used at Frankfurt Airport are electricity and district heating. The trend in total energy consumption reflects the continuous expansion of infrastructure and the growth in traffic volume, which Fraport is countering through energy efficiency measures.

On the following page, we provide information about air traffic and aircraft noise. We also outline our noise abatement measures and explain how local residents can take advantage of our roof securing program.

• Aircraft Noise
• Measures
• Flight Operations

Aircraft and vehicle operations, mobile equipment and the supply of energy such as electricity and district heating and cooling generate CO₂ emissions at Frankfurt Airport. Through its climate protection targets, Fraport AG is committed to improving energy efficiency and implements various measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, for instance. The environmental pollution caused by electricity consumption is falling particularly sharply as Fraport uses more and more power generated from renewable energy sources.

Flight operations are the main contributor to the airport’s emissions, followed by emissions on the ground caused by apron and vehicle traffic in and around the airport. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) make up the largest percentage of pollutants from aircraft emissions. NOx values are currently on a par with figures from previous years. Air quality at Frankfurt Airport has been monitored continuously since 2002. Originally operated by Fraport itself, the measuring stations were handed over in 2017to the Environment and Neighborhood House (UNH), an institution of the State of Hesse located in the community of Kelsterbach. The Hessian Agency for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG) is responsible for operating the stations and evaluating the data. Fraport AG publishes detailed information on air quality every year in its Air Quality Annual Report. Fraport charges emissions-based take-off and landing fees. The use of alternative, emission-free drives is helping to improve air quality.

Frankfurt Airport is Germany’s largest airport for cargo and has dedicated operational areas for this purpose. Whether it is express freight, air mail or hazardous goods that need to be moved, everything is in good hands with Fraport. With their many years’ experience and expertise, the employees at Fraport AG ensure the ultra-reliable and professional handling of hazardous goods. Fraport AG’s Dangerous Goods and Radiation Protection Officer monitors compliance with the relevant rules and regulations on an ongoing basis. Before any chemical products are purchased, the company checks whether they can be substituted for more environmentally friendly alternatives. For instance, the subsidiary N*ICE Aircraft Services & Support is already using environmentally sustainable technologies to de-ice aircraft.

Fraport AG has a responsibility to operate and utilize drainage networks. The company even runs two separate sewer systems for wastewater and rainwater in order to keep capacity utilization in the sewage treatment plants at a more constant level and prevent them from being overburdened by large volumes of rainwater. Systematic monitoring analyzes the quality and volumes of the wastewater flows to ensure that limits are complied with.