The Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) and the Langkawi International Airport (LIA) have achieved Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Level 1 Mapping by the Airports Council International (ACI), recognising their commitment to carbon management and environmental sustainability.
According to ACI in its recent reports published on the website, these two airports have now joined KL International Airport (KLIA) and over 600 other airports worldwide in advancing toward net-zero carbon emissions through ACI’s comprehensive 7-level programme, which encourages collective action on carbon reduction and climate change.
It said that KLIA is currently endorsed at Level 3 Optimisation, reflecting its ongoing efforts in carbon management and sustainability.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said sustainability is a key strategic theme for MAHB, guiding the organisation’s long-term vision and operational practices.
“Achieving ACA for KKIA and LIA is a testament to our unwavering commitment to environmental excellence and leadership in building a greener aviation sector in Malaysia,” he said.
Izani added that the airport operator is actively working towards certifying Penang International Airport and Kuching International Airport and ultimately aim to bring ACA accreditation to its entire airport network.
To date, MAHB manages 39 airports across Malaysia, with five international airports, 17 domestic and 17 STOLports (short take-off and landing airports) as well as one international airport in Turkiye.
The ACA programme is a global initiative led by ACI to help airports manage and reduce their carbon emissions, offering a structured framework designed to guide airports from basic carbon mapping to achieving net zero emissions with seven levels of certification, namely mapping, reduction, optimisation, neutrality, transformation, transition and maintaining a net zero balance on scopes 1 and 2 as well as actively addressing Scope 3 emissions.
“For KKIA and LIA, by achieving Level 1, the two airports have committed to conducting a comprehensive analysis of its CO2 emissions and creating structured plans for their reduction,” ACI stated.
It also highlighted that KKIA has implemented solar panels with a total capacity of 3.8 megawatts (MW) and introduced an energy management system to enhance energy efficiency across its operations, while LIA has upgraded its airfield ground lighting from halogen bulbs to energy-efficient LED lighting that reduces energy use by up to 90%.
Besides this achievement, KLIA was also named as CAPA Large Airport of the Year 2024 at the recent CAPA Airline Leader Summit and Awards for Excellence held in Belgrade, Serbia.
The global award recognies airports handling over 30 million passengers annually that demonstrate exceptional strategic leadership and significant contributions to the aviation industry.
It marks the second time Malaysia Airports has been honoured by CAPA, having previously won the CAPA Asia Pacific Large International Airport Award in 2014.
