D-AIR Project:
Decarbonising Airport Regions
D-AIR start position report
MALTA
Preface
Cyan Engineering Limited together with E-Cubed Consultants were appointed in January 2014 by
Transport Malta as part of the D-Air project funded under the INTERREG IVC EU Funding Programme
to compile the carbon footprint of the operations within the airport boundary in preparation for the
subsequent compilation of an Implementation Plan including a list of recommended measures that
can be taken up and implemented by the stakeholders operating within the airport boundary with
the aim of minimising carbon emissions in the short, medium and the long term.
These actions emanate from the D-Air Project. The project – Decarbonising Airport Regions – aims to
contribute towards the conversion of airports into environmentally sustainable transport hubs.
These project objectives stem from climate change and energy targets set at EU level, namely the
Effort Sharing Decision (No 406/2009/EC).
The project deals with two main elements of airport operations that fall under the competence of
public authorities and bodies, namely; surface accessibility to airport zones and carbon neutrality for
airport operator activities.
The project also gives special attention to the optimal involvement of business and R&D communities
in creating well-connected green airports, by contributing to new innovative products, services and
solutions needed to realise prompt actions on the ground.
Based on the studies and exchange of best practices completed during the lifetime of this project,
the end result will be an Implementation Plan to be endorsed by national decision making bodies
that is to be followed after the termination of this project in order to create a truly decarbonised
airport region.
This document is one of Transport Malta’s contributions to the D-Air Project. This start position
report being presented here, gives a brief outline of the level of carbon emissions generated through
airport activity in 2013. Data reported here has been compiled following a series of extensive
consultations with stakeholders operating within the airport regions as well as site visits to the major
stakeholders. This data is considered as the baseline by which future policy results can be measured.
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CO2 neutrality of airport operator activities
Q1: Which emission sources of CO2 do you have from airport operator activities, i.e. emission
sources of CO2 that your company controls?
Transport Malta, the project partner, has little control over the emission sources that emanate
directly from airport operations. Transport Malta’s main objective through participation in this
project was to enter into discussion with the various operators within the national airport and,
together with them, and with the help of external expertise, determine the sources of pollution
within the airport and work with the stakeholders to find means and solutions for targeting such
sources.
The main stakeholder in this regard is the Malta International Airport plc. (MIA) a private company in
charge of airport operations. In addition to the emissions generated from the main operator, an
assessment has been undertaken to determine the level of CO2e emissions generated within the
airport boundary.
The main sources of emissions by the airport operator are as follows:

Electricity Consumption

Fuel used for transportation within the airfield and for equipment

Water Consumption
The main sources of emissions generated within the airport boundary are as follows:

Electricity Consumption

Fuel used for transportation within the airfield and for equipment

Water Consumption

Gas consumption

Aircraft fuel used during unassisted aircraft movement, engine tests and the use of the
Auxiliary Power Unit
Moreover, there are also emissions generated from surface access transportation by employees,
passengers and visitors to the airport boundary. These emissions are explained in a subsequent
section of this report.
Q2: Are all emission sources from airport operator activities included here?
A preliminary boundary has been identified (presented at the Eindhoven meeting), that includes the
airport site. The site includes the main airport operator, MIA, as well as other stakeholders operating
within the boundary including those directly related to airport activity operating within the terminal
and airfield such as ground handling and aircraft operations. The boundary also includes
stakeholders such as aircraft maintenance operators which are located within the airfield but whose
activity is not directly related to the airports’ main activity. The boundary which is considered in the
study is shown in Annex I.
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An estimate of the emissions by the airport operator has been derived. Furthermore, emissions
generated through airport activity within the boundary have also been undertaken, distinguishing
between those direct and indirect airport activities, aircraft emissions as well as surface access
transport.
Q3: What is the annual consumption/usage of the sources?
The table below outlines the amount of fuel used, electricity, potable and non-potable water
consumed as well as gas. The table distinguishes between the sources of emissions by the main
operator as well as other tenants that are either based at the terminal or in the airfield.
Table 1: Sources of annual emissions (2013)
Q4: What are the annual CO2 emissions from these sources?
The level of CO2e emissions for 2013 have been estimated for three scenarios which reflect the
energy mix in Malta.
The scenarios referred to in this document are as follows:
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2013 Emissions: current energy mix, including: a power station which is expected to be
decommissioned by 2015 and an additional power station running on Heavy Fuel Oil;
2016 National: production of electricity locally, including the use of gas, and does not
consider emissions generated through electricity imported through the interconnector;
2016 Total: level of emissions generated through local production and emissions of
electricity through the interconnector.
As can be seen from Table 2, the greatest source of emissions is through the consumption of
electricity. The level of emissions generated through the consumption of electricity drops
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significantly as the country in 2016 utilises cleaner energy sources. The 2016 Total scenario is utilised
for the purpose of this assignment particularly in terms of estimating the reduction in carbon
emissions through the application of measures highlighted in the implementation report.
Table 2: CO2e emissions from airport operator activities (2013)
It is to be noted that the report does not cover aviation emissions occurring between airports but
rather CO2e emissions from aviation activity on ground.
Indeed, an estimate of CO2e emissions generated from aviation has been undertaken for the
following elements:
•
Unassisted Ground Movements
•
Use of Auxiliary Power Units
•
Aircraft Testing
The total level of aircraft emissions generated in 2013 amount to 17,571 tonnes of CO2e. A
breakdown of these emissions is shown in the Table below.
Table 3: Emissions from aviation (2013)
Q5: What are the challenges regarding mapping your CO2 emissions from your own operations?
One of the greatest challenges in mapping the CO2 emissions is linked to the level of electricity
consumed. During the investigations which were carried out, it was realized that some of the MIA
tenants do not pay for their air-conditioning and electricity in terms of the level of use.
In reality, this results from the fact that there is no metering equipment to measure the energy
because the installations were not designed for this purpose but rather to meter the energy in
certain floors of the MIA building in bulk. It is now problematic to measure the energy used in each
specific area which is rented out particularly with regard to air conditioning.
The air-conditioning in these areas forms part of the overall building air-conditioning system and as
such it is very complicated to meter the energy used in specific areas. The same applies on a lesser
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scale to electricity consumption given that each specific area rented out is supplied with electricity
from a number of circuits or distribution boards serving other areas as well.
As a result there is no inducement for these tenants to save energy because their consumption is not
reflected in their rental bill. The whole matter needs to be reconsidered and the necessary energy
metering systems introduced. The issue becomes more complicated if the rented out areas keep
changing because the corresponding changes to the metering systems will be relatively complicated
to implement each time.
Q6: Is there an action plan, targets or similar with the aim to reduce CO2 emissions from the
emission sources?
An implementation plan is being suggested by Transport Malta with a list of measures which can be
adopted by the airport operator and by stakeholders operating within the boundary. The
recommended measures are categorised into the following elements:


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

Motivation and behavioural changes
Efficiency in the use of electricity
Transport
Renewable energy
Efficiency in the use of Water
A brief description of the measures under each of the categories, potential CO2e savings from
measures where the indicator could be assessed, the timeframe for implementation as well as
relevant stakeholders are shown in the Tables below. Table 4 also indicates whether the specific
measure requires further studies and cost benefit implications whereby the latter, where relevant, is
based on the monetary value of the emissions based on the shadow price of carbon.
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Table 4: Suggested measures
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Q7: Have there already been any measures carried out to reduce CO2 emissions?
A number of measures to reduce CO2 emissions have already been undertaken by various stakeholders
operating within the airport boundary including the main airport operator. These measures are
presented under four main headings:
Energy efficiency in Buildings
MIA has put several measures in place within its building and facilities. These measures include the
replacement of incandescent lamps by PL (energy saving) lamps and the replacement of fluorescent
lighting control chokes by HF electronic chokes, resulting in reduction of terminal building lighting load
by more than 25%; the introduction of inverters in high load motor control centres, resulting in
consumption reductions in the region of 10% on such loads; replacement of terminal building airconditioning chillers by more efficient chillers, improving coefficient of performance by some 25% and
introduction of highly efficient VRV units, resulting in reduction of air-conditioning load by some 10%
Furthermore the operator is currently in the process of replacing external lighting by LED units.
BREEAM certification1 was awarded to Skyparks, a subsidiary of the airport operator, which is located
within the boundary and accommodates a number of firms and retail outlets. The certification has
been awarded in view of the environmentally conscious measures adopted within the building. It
should be noted that this building was designed and constructed with the aim and purpose of
achieving BREEAM certification. Most of these measures were established at the design stage of the
building, so this is a good example of a purpose-built environmentally-friendly building. The example
of this site may be adapted to other sites, particularly in the case of new-build. Examples of BREEAM
requirements include:
o
o
o
o
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kicker plates on doors;
noise alternation taken into account;
adequate storage of waste;
ventilation strategy;
glare control
Insulation and thermal loss prevention within the construction of the building has also been
undertaken within some of the buildings. These initiatives include double glazing of doors and
windows as well as flip and hinge windows have been installed by Lufthansa Technik, an aircraft
maintenance firm, allowing ventilation and ease of access for cleaning from the inside. Furthermore
AC units are linked and limited to a max heating temperature setting.
Strip lights have been changed from being fixed to the ceiling to hanging on chains. There has also
been a reduction in the number of lights in each workshop by some of the aircraft maintenance firms
located within the boundary.
1
BREEAM is an environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings, with 250,000 buildings with
certified BREEAM assessment ratings and over a million registered for assessment since it was first launched in
1990.BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable building design, construction and operation and
has become one of the most comprehensive and widely recognised measures of a building's environmental
performance. It encourages designers, clients and others to think about low carbon and low impact design,
minimising the energy demands created by a building before considering energy efficiency and low carbon
technologies.
Lufthansa Technik, which has adopted various measures to consume energy efficiently and to lower its
carbon footprint, has also opted for lighting controls so that lights operate only when there is
movement in a certain area, reducing the time that the lights are switched on. Electrical equipment
that is not required to be in use 24hrs has been fitted with a timer so that it is switched on only when
necessary. Indeed the company has also opted for translucent doors which were fitted on a new
hangar extension so that main costs which are the hangar lights are only in use when it is dark outside,
during daylight hours only minimal lighting is required.
With regards to water consumption, stakeholders with access to water reservoirs, use water from runoff catchment. Water saving devices such as taps and low flush toilets have also been adopted.
The airport operator and other stakeholders have also opted to upgrade their company vehicles both
airside and landside to higher EU specifications.
Renewable Energy
PV units have already been installed by MIA generating 153,600 kWh. Additionally, two aircraft
maintenance firms and the aiport operator itself are investigating the possibility of installing further PV
units. This investment depends on the parameters required to establish which locatins are critical and
non-critical within an aiport boundary given safety considerations related to flight operations, such as
glare from the panels during the critical periods of take-offs and landings.
Solar tubes have also been installed by Lufthansa Technic to allow natural light where it would
otherwise have been impossible to have external windows. This is particularly the case within aircraft
hangars.
The MIA has also introduced solar water heating systems for bathrooms.
Employee schemes
Lufthansa Technik has installed ‘Switch off when not in use’ stickers next to all light switches and
electrical equipment. An energy saving awareness project is also being adopted by the same firm
whereby all staff are being informed of the current electricity used and the relative costs spent,
employees are also being advised how they can help to reduce it.
Transport measures
Express bus routes have been developed which specifically cater for the airport. The buses used on
these routes are high capacity buses with low floor and space for luggage. The express bus routes to
and from the airport were introduced in July 2011 with the Public Bus Transport reform.
A bus-on-demand system that is aimed specifically at tourist travellers passing through MIA has been
in place for some time. This is more of an unscheduled public transport service, with which each
individual hotel (or group of hotels within the same geographic location) organizes private transport to
transfer guests between the hotel and the airport. This service has to be pre-booked and it often forms
part of the hotel/holiday package. It is convenient when the usual public transport would not be in
operation such as during night time. Furthermore a number of operators offer shuttle services to and
from the airport.
Staff at Medavia, an aircraft maintenance firm, are encouraged to join in on ‘bike-2-work’ schemes.
The airport operator is also considering the possibility of offering transport services to and from work
in certain towns throughout Malta in a bid to lower transport emissions by employees.
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Airmalta, in recent years, has moved towards a more fuel-efficient Airbus fleet, and has introduced
electrically-powered vehicles at the airport.
Q8: To be climate neutral for airport operator activities the remaining emissions should be
neutralized by offsetting.
MIA plc. as well as a number of stakeholders operating within the boundary, have, through the D-AIR
project, become more conscious of their carbon footprint. As explained above, they have already
opted for several carbon reduction measures with several other measures expected to be undertaken
over the course of time.
To outweigh the level of carbon emissions generated through the consumption of fuel, electricity and
water, the airport operator would have to engage in several measures. The most effective of these
measures in terms of attaining carbon neutrality, would be the installation of PV units. The potential
supply of PV panels could be installed within the boundary subject to safety and technical constraints,
outside the boundary if sufficient tracts of land can be found within Malta as well as outside Malta.
Other measures which can be adopted to contribute towards attaining carbon neutrality are soft
measures to instil behavioural changes as well as investment to use energy efficiently. This entails
investment in electricity saving devices in lighting, use of monitoring systems, replacement of old air
conditioning equipment and improvement of rain water harvesting. The operator could also consider
further use of electric vehicles, where possible, within the airfield.
Q9, regarding innovation: Is there already / do you plan any cooperation with the R&D community
(e.g. research and knowledge institutions / businesses) in reducing CO2 emissions stemming from
airport operator activities?
There is no specific cooperation which has been identified during consultation with stakeholders.
However, this issue is to be discussed in the final stakeholder forum potentially outlining possible
opportunities which may be taken forward.
Surface access
Q1: What is the current situation of your airport surface access?
MIA plc. conducted a survey among its employees to understand the travel habits of its employees.
The results obtained by this survey were then used by Transport Malta’s consultants to extract the
travel behaviour of all the 3,133 employees working within the airport boundary. The results attained
are as follows depicted in Table 5 below.
Table 5: Surface Access to the Airport by Employees
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As part of the compilation of the carbon footprint for the airport boundary, the Consultants then
considered the travel modes used by passengers and visitors passing through the airport. The results
are shown in Table 6 below.
Table 6
Q2: For each of the modes already in place, can you explain the influence of your organization?
Transport Malta (TM) is the regulator of all modes of transport in the Maltese Islands, including land
transport, it therefore regulates the provision of all transport services. With regards to the public bus
transport an overhaul of the service has taken place in the past few years with a new service launched
in July 2011. The service changed from a centralised service which utilised the Valletta Bus Terminus
as the main hub, to a decentralised service with several main termini and interchanges around
strategic points on the island. The service operation was privatised and subcontracted through public
procurement procedures. Currently public transport services are being offered by government but a
private operator will shortly be operating the service once again.
Route design remains the responsibility of TM and TM reserves the right to amend/update/change
routes as necessary. As part of the new service launched in 2011, several routes were introduced while
others were upgraded. New routes include the direct routes to and from the airport linking the airport
to major tourist accommodation destinations and localities around Malta. These direct routes are
marked with X as part of the Bus number and serve as a public shuttle service to and from the airport
to main interchanges around the island.
Since TM is the national regulator of all modes of transport, taxis also fall within the remit of TM.
While taxi operators are also private companies, TM, as regulator, is responsible for licensing, fare
rates, on-board security (such as obligatory metering, vehicle tracking, real time monitoring etc.). As
part of the liberalisation of the public transport services, between 2010 and 2012 several changes have
were implemented by TM in the taxi service. The number of licences issued were increased while
stricter security measures were put in place. In 2015, TM plans to re-extend the number of licences
allowed for service providers which will be issued after a series of consultations take place with the
operators in the field.
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Q3: Are there any other policy measures regulating surface transport and its environmental
impacts? And does the organization have any impact on these?
Like any other EU Member States, Malta strives to achieve the Climate Change and Energy targets set
by the EU Commission. As part of the “Effort Sharing Decision” Decision No 406/2009/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council, Malta is obliged to limit CO2 emissions by 5% compared to
2005 levels. In order to achieve this target, the Maltese government has issued several policies that
aim to target this obligation.
The targets set by the relevant EU Directives for Malta are as follows:
o
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o
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Energy End Use Efficiency2: 9% by 2016;
Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU3: 22% by 2020
Renewable Energy Target: 10% of final energy consumption by 2020;
Bio-fuel contribution in the fuel mix: 10% of final energy consumption of fuels by 2020;
Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2010/31/EU: Tightening of existing minimum
standards as from 2013 and a further tightening by 2017. By 2018 Public Authority Buildings
will qualify for nearly zero energy buildings
Reduction in GHG emissions under Effort Sharing Decision: +5% over 2005 levels by 2020.
In terms of transport, Transport Malta has implemented several projects and actions that seek to
reduce emissions from transport.

Controlled Vehicle Areas
The introduction of Controlled Vehicle Areas (CVA) was one such policy. By earmarking the whole of
Valletta area as a CVA, Transport Malta has managed to reduce private transport entering Valletta by
10.9% while public transport patronage to and from Valletta has been increased by 5.8%.

Public Bus Transport Reform
The Public Bus Transport Reform was a pivotal project implemented by Transport Malta with the aim
of achieving the required modal shift and reduction in CO2 emissions. The new service has introduced
new buses with a minimum of Euro V engines and a number of hybrid buses to be used in certain
localities. Bus prioritisation over other vehicular traffic has also been introduced by TM, a system
which will soon be enabled and enforced through Intelligent Traffic System facilities and
infrastructure.
The change of the system from a centralised – one main hub approach – to a decentralised operation
has helped to offer commuters better connections between localities and shorter travel times, thus
making the public transport service more attractive.
Since the introduction of the new public transport service, the passenger numbers carried by the new
bus operator between August and December 2011 increased from 13.4m to 14.6m passengers,
representing an increase of 8.9% from 2010. Due to the decline in passenger numbers in the first five
2
Measures to improve end-use energy efficiency with the exception of activities included in the greenhouse gas
emissions trading scheme, and, to a certain extent, the armed forces. It targets the retail sale, supply and
distribution of extensive grid-based energy carriers, such as electricity and natural gas as well as other types of
energy such as district heating, heating oil, coal and lignite, forestry and agricultural energy products and
transport fuels.
3
This refers to transformation of energy and its distribution to its final consumption.
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months of the year of 5.4%, this brought the total amount of passengers to 31.4 million compared to
31.2 million in 2010, representing an overall increase of 0.3%.
With regard to Gozo, the new service brought about a radical improvement in service, leading to a
drastic increase of 471% between August and December 2011. This led to the total amount of
passengers increasing from 413,000 in 2010 to 1.4m in 2011, an overall increase 343% for the year.

Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS)
Following the launch of DIRECTIVE 2010/40/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 7 July 2010 on the framework for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in the field of
road transport and for interfaces with other modes of transport, Transport Malta is currently
implementing a project that will introduce ITS systems in Malta.
This project is currently in the first stages of implementation and it aims to move traffic congestion
away from public bus transport corridors and provide a general improvement of the public transport
network efficiency, these measures also have a major impact on carbon emissions. This will be done
through the deployment of ITS enabled equipment and infrastructure on the road network that will
enable TM to monitor and control all modes of surface transport in real time through CCTV cameras at
several strategic locations. Among other things, the system will enable TM to deviate traffic from
congested areas through the use of Vehicular Message Signs; public transport will be given priority
over other vehicular traffic through ITS enabled dedicated bus lanes and bus gates at selected
interchanges. Moreover, traffic lights will be synchronised in order to create a green wave.
This project is planned to be fully operational by December 2015.

Electrification of road transport
As of November 2013 Government launched the MNEAP; an Action Plan including twenty-two
identified projects and measures that will assist the government to achieve its targets to deploy 5,000
full electric vehicles and 500 charging points nationwide by 2020. In order to monitor and implement
this Action Plan over the coming seven years, the Government has set up the Malta National
Electromobility Platform (MNEP) which is chaired by the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and
led by the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure in conjunction with Transport Malta.
Q4: Are there any concrete plans/measures to be introduced to change the current situation –
especially regarding green transport?
Transport Malta has other concrete plans that will build on the successes already achieved through the
projects and policies implemented in the past years. In terms of green transport, the national
government has taken a stand in favour of the infiltration of electric mobility as part of the national
fleet. In fact, Transport Malta in conjunction with the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure,
Enemalta (Electricity Provider) and the Ministry for Gozo are working on a project that has launched
twenty-four fully electric vehicles of all classes (including passenger and goods carrying vehicles)
around the Maltese Islands in a demonstration project that started in January 2012. The main aim of
the DEMO-EV project is to test and demonstrate the feasibility of 2nd generation full electric vehicles
and encourage their market uptake. This project is currently in its final stages. Apart from the
deployment of the electric vehicle fleet, through the DEMO-EV project, Government has installed
forty-five dual point charging pillars in localities around Malta and Gozo. The demonstration is taking
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place over a period of twelve months paralleled by a national campaign promoting the results
achieved during the demonstration and feasibility testing period.
A second project which commenced in 2012 is demonstrating the feasibility of electric vehicles used as
part of port operations. The Port-PVEV projects has purchased and deployed another thirteen full
electric vehicles and introduced solar charging points to be used by the public to charge electric
vehicles using direct solar power.
Specific transport measures which have emerged from D-AIR project related to transport include the
following elements:

Greater use of e- and tele-working: The measure is intended to benefit the airport region and
can be implemented in the short-term as a complement to other family friendly benefits
potentially offered such as part-time work arrangements or reduced hours. It requires the
involvement of stakeholders, namely employers within the airport boundary that offer this
possibility to their employees.

Employee incentive schemes for car-sharing and green modes of transport: This measure
encourages a green travel plan through car-sharing or the take-up of green modes of transport
(such as cycling) that are intended to lower carbon emissions within the airport region
generated by employees that result in the main from standard vehicles used by single
occupancy trips.

Rationalise frequency/extent of public transport service in redundant routes/times: While it is
acknowledged that the public transport system in Malta has undergone substantial reform,
this measure requires an in-depth study to determine the extent of public transport service in
redundant routes/times. This measure cannot be undertaken solely for the provision of airport
services but must be undertaken within the context of the national public transport system
and the National Transport Strategy which is currently being drafted. The effectiveness of this
measure depends on a modal shift from the use of private cars to public transport.
Q5: Have you calculated the amount of CO2 linked to the surface access to your airport? If yes, can
you explain the methodology, and give the main results available?
An estimate of CO2e emissions generated from surface access has been undertaken for the purpose of
this report. The sources of transport emissions are outlined in the Figure below.
Figure 1: Surface access
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Employees
Employees generate the second highest source of carbon emissions from transport. There are over
3,000 employees employed within the airport perimeter, with the airport operator itself, MIA
accounting for 9% of the employees. According to a survey conducted by MIA with its own employees,
92% of workers use their own car to travel to work and only 4% resort to car pooling. Based on the
assumption that a similar ratio is applicable to other firms operating within the boundary, an estimate
of the total level of emissions generated by employees amounts to about 2,424 tonnes of CO2e
emissions.
Incoming tourists
The level of incoming tourists in Malta in 2013 reached over 1,500,000. Data published by the
National Statistics Office indicates that half of the tourists opt for tourist packages which typically
includes transportation and accommodation. Non-package tourists include business which are likely
to use taxis. Students and non-package tourists are likely to use all modes of transport including taxis,
coaches and public transport.
Table 7: Number of Incoming Tourists
Source: NSO Press Release: 031/2014
The level of emissions has subsequently been derived based on the number of trips to touristic
destinations in Malta to cater for tourists as well as the average occupancy ratio for each mode of
transport based on international literature as shown in the table below.
Table 8: Number of trips by incoming tourists
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It is to be noted that the level of emissions generated in this section takes into consideration only
emissions from large coaches, min-vans and taxis. Emissions from public transport are considered in a
subsequent section of this report whereby the latter emissions are derived from the use of public
transport and do not depend on the frequency of use of public transport by tourists or visitors. Based
on these assumptions, the amount of CO2e generated by Incoming Tourists amounts to 1,224 tonnes.
Outgoing tourists
Data published by the NSO indicates that about 404,000 passengers are outgoing tourists of which
10% are same day tourists. An estimate of the level of CO2e emissions by outgoing tourists has been
undertaken based on the following methodology:

An estimate of the total number of passengers excluding 0-16 year olds who are likely to travel
with parents

Assumption that same day travellers are likely to use their car or a taxi with one passenger per
car requiring two trips (Going to the airport and travelling from airport upon return)

Other outgoing tourists are likely to be travelling in a party of two and are more likely to
engage in kiss and fly thus generating four trips.

An estimate of the distance travelled by these passengers has been undertaken based on the
proportion of the population in Malta living in different regional areas.

Vehicles used for transport are based on the proportion of diesel and petrol vehicles in the
stock of vehicles as well as the proportion of the size of the vehicles.
Based on this methodology, the total level of CO2e emissions generated by outgoing tourists amounts
to 1,132 tonnes.
Visitors
An estimate of emissions generated by visitors has also been undertaken based on the following
methodology:
•
Number of car park entries and exits at Visitor Airport which amounts to about 560,000
entries in 2013
•
Outgoing tourists which may use the visitors’ car park have been excluded from the analysis to
avoid double counting implying that about 196,303 entries are made by visitors. This has to be
considered in light of the fact that there are a number of retail outlets in the boundary
including restaurants, cafeteria, pharmacy, child-care center, stationary and so on.
•
The distance travelled by visitors has been based on the regional population data
Based on these assumptions, the total level of CO2e emissions generated by visitors amounts to 1,223
tonnes.
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Public Transport
The majority of transport emissions are generated through the public transport system. This is due to
the fact that there are six direct public transport routes which service the airport. The frequency of the
buses ranges from 30 minutes to 60 minutes and the routes vary from 40km to 75km per route.
As indicated above following the public transport reform undertaken in 2009, the public transport
system in Malta was upgraded to the use of Euro V buses. However, the utilisation rate of the public
transport system remains low. Indeed, through a survey conducted by the airport operator, only 2% of
the employees make use of the public transport system. Furthermore, almost 50% of incoming
tourists make use of tourist packages and thus opt for the use of coaches and mini-vans rather than
the public transport system.
An overall summary of the proportion of emissions generated through surface access is shown in the
chart below.
Table 7: Surface access emissions (2013)
Q6: What are the challenges you have currently identified regarding the surface access to your
airport?
The main challenge that Transport Malta faces is that although a new public transport system has
been created and new direct routes to and from the airport introduced, the dependency on private
means of transportation is still very high, especially for employees working within the airport
boundary. The challenge that TM faces is therefore to make public transport more attractive to
commuters travelling to and from the airport to ensure the effective use of public transport which in
turn will result in lower use of own transport and thus lower level of CO2e emissions. The challenge
thus lies in rationalising the frequency/extent of public transport service in redundant routes/times.
This, as explained above, cannot be undertaken solely for the direct routes to and from the airport but
within the context of the entire public transport system in Malta and taking into account the National
Transport Strategy which is currently being drafted.
Another challenge lies in the take up of electric vehicles. Towards this end, measures have already
been adopted at a national level including the introduction of fiscal incentives for the purchase of
electric vehicles by individuals and the installation of public charging infrastructure. These initiatives
may spur a greater demand for electric vehicles which are an important source of reducing emissions
emanating from surface access.
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Q7: The stakeholder forum; is there an existing stakeholder forum?
As part of the D-Air project, the stakeholders have been identified and open lines of communication
have been set up with major stakeholders. The stakeholders have contributed widely to the exercise
through the consultation forums as well as through one to one meetings held with consultants
engaged on the project to determine the baseline level of emissions. Stakeholder meetings were held
in June 2013 and May 2014 to discuss the outcome of the starting position and to discuss the
measures explained in the previous section. A further meeting will be held towards mid-June.
Q8: Is there a mobility plan available for your city or the most important city of your region?
Updated mobility plans have been issued by TM over the years, however none of these plans focuses
specifically on the airport area. On the other hand, Transport Malta is currently in the process of
preparing a National Transport Strategy document.
Q9: Does the airport have its own mobility plan?
In a bid to gauge the use of transport by its employees, the airport operator conducted a survey. The
survey has been instrumental to determine the proportion of employees using different modes of
transport as shown in the Table below as well as the relative distance travelled by employees.
Remarks presented by employees on the lack of public transport use centre around the flexibility
provided by own transport. Initiatives discussed with the airport operator which may be considered
further include initiatives to use car sharing, greener modes of transport such as electric vehicles and
cycling. The operator has also indicated that it is currently studying the possibility of offering
organised transport to certain towns for its employees.
Table 9: Employee Survey
Q10: Is there, in the vicinity of the airport a company that has set up a mobility plan?
Stakeholders operating on the perimeter of the boundary have indicated that their employees are not
serviced by the public transport system and hence the utilisation rate by their employees is low.
Discussions centred on the possibility of offering organised transport by these stakeholders to their
employees either to the nearest bus stop or else to a park and ride venue. A particular stakeholder
seeks to promote cycling to work but has identified challenges in this regard including road
infrastructure and lighting which may not be conducive towards this objective.
The University of Malta, located about 9kms from the airport, has developed a mobility plan
introduced in 2011 and has committed itself to implement and encourage campus wide practices that
contribute to the achievement of sustainability goals related to mobility of staff and students. The
intention is that by 2015, there will be substantial reductions in the number of students and staff
arriving on campus as single occupants of cars. It is envisaged that there will be a modal shift of 17%
of staff and 64% of students by 2015 over 2008 levels. The measures adopted by University include the
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following elements:
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Bike purchasing scheme
Cycling infrastructure
Public transport for students paid through stipends
Flexibility and teleworking for staff
Carpooling Facebook page
Public transport discount for staff
Q11: What are the information tools available for the average citizen, to find information related to
the public transport means available at the airport?
Transport Malta has launched a new website that provides information on the TM role and the
services it provides, including information on the various modes of transport within its remit. The
Website includes a geo-portal that locates, among other things, public transport infrastructure. Other
information is available from operators’ web-sites (buses, taxis, unscheduled services etc.); limited
real-time information on bus stops (which will be improved once the ITMS is in full operation); printed
information at bus stops; bus operator call centre; ticket booths within information points; airport and
tourism web-sites also includes public transport information.
An information centre has also been established within the Arrivals lounge which seeks to provide
information to incoming tourists including the availability and modes of transport to and from the
airport.
Q12, regarding innovation: Is there already / do you plan any cooperation with the R&D community
(e.g. research and knowledge institutions / businesses) regarding how to green the surface access to
the airport?
There is no specific cooperation which has been identified during consultation with stakeholders.
However, of particular relevance is the application of innovation within the local context emanating
from other EU funded projects which are also of relevance to this particular project. Reference is
made to the National Electromobility Action Plan which outlines a number of pilot projects currently
being undertaken in Malta including the following:
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The Light Rail Project whereby a feasibility study will be undertaken on a light rail system and
monorail system
Public Transport Electric Routes Project to identify a main route for the use of a high capacity
electric buses
Urban Public Transport Electric Routes Project which will include the purchase of 20 of the
latest electric Mini buses which will service secondary routes or circular routes in towns and
villages, interconnecting routes to the town /village bus routes
The Solar Car Shelters Project which includes a number of solar car parks and car charging
infrastructure in main parking areas to demonstrate carbon neutral transport
The Hotel e-Car Sharing Project the aim of which is to increase the added value of tourism. The
initiative will be demonstrated within a chain of hotels and includes the purchase of 30
additional BEVs and fast charging infrastructure.
The H2project which will include the building and or conversion ofa fuel station ito a hydrogen
fuel station with the production of hydrogen on site through electrolysis. The project will also
include the purchase of 3 of the latest Fuel Cell Buses and three Fuel Cell M1 vehicles.
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The DemoEV project which is in the last phase of implementation will contribute towards the
attainment of a carbon neutral road transportation system in Malta by putting into practice,
testing, evaluating and disseminating a number of actions with respect to the achievement of
electro mobility. A pilot project is currently being undertaken over a period of 12 months that
will test and demonstrate a method of transportation that will contribute towards carbon
neutrality in land transport.
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ANNEX I