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25th September 2018

Low Carbon Access Strategies for Remote Airports

Urban Foresight commissioned to review opportunities to decarbonise transport to and from remote and peripheral airports.

Smart Peripheral and Remote Airports (SPARA) is a €2.4m three-year project that is part of the Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) Programme and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

SPARA aims to address challenges faced at remote and peripheral airports. Remote airports are economically vital and provide accessibility and connectivity to residents, but with low traffic volumes, strong seasonality challenges and ageing aircrafts, these airports suffer relatively higher costs of operating safely and compliantly, and inevitably require state intervention.

SPARA aims to maximise revenues and innovation at remote and peripheral airports to increase their self-sufficiency and resilience in the long-term.

HITRANS, the regional transport partnership for Scotland’s Highlands and Islands has commissioned Urban Foresight to look at opportunities to decarbonise transport to and from remote and peripheral airports.

The focus for our assignment will be Inverness and Kirkwall Airports, with a specific emphasis on supporting the roll out of electric vehicles and supporting charging infrastructure, as well as the potential to use of biofuels.

Our analysis will highlight the costs and benefits of a low carbon approach and will consider how different national approaches and regulatory frameworks can impact the delivery of low carbon surface access to airports.

“The study will consider a range of options, including car clubs, car hire, taxis, buses and electric bikes” explained Callum White, Consultant at Urban Foresight. “Our aim is develop action plans that are specific to each location and draw on best practice from around the world.”

The project builds on a number of previous projects undertaken by Urban Foresight in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands. This includes developing an EV strategy for the region and integrating transport with abundant renewable energy resources in Orkney’s Electric Future.

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