Left: Neil Robinson, CSR director at MAG
Airport operator Manchester Airports Group’s (MAG) latest corporate social responsibility (CSR) report has shown that its four airports generated £6.2bn (US$8bn) of economic value for the airports’ surrounding communities as well as across the UK in 2015/16.
The figure represents a 16% year-on-year increase and comes on the back of MAG’s busiest ever year with nearly 52 million passengers passing through Manchester, London Stansted, East Midlands and Bournemouth airports during 2015/16.
Despite the 7% passenger growth during the period, MAG’s airports delivered a significant reduction in their environmental impact, most notably through a 15% reduction in carbon emissions and a 41% cut in the number of registered noise complaints.
The report also details how in 2015, MAG supported the employment of 124,000 people across the UK and helped contribute to the education of more than 20,000 young people through its three airport employment academies, Aerozone education centers and over 10,000 hours of staff volunteering.
Neil Robinson, CSR director at MAG, said, “MAG’s approach is guided by our belief that when our business prospers, the regions and communities in which we operate prosper.
“We also know that delivering growth in the right way is key to securing the support of our stakeholders and as our airports continue to grow over the coming years, we recognize the importance to local communities of being able to deliver this growth without increasing the environmental impacts associated with our operations.
“The figures we are releasing today demonstrate the powerful role that airports across the country play in generating wider social and economic benefit for their local communities and the UK economy.
“In a year when we have transported a record 50 million passengers, we have managed to significantly reduce our environmental impact through a variety of initiatives such as the introduction of GPS flight path technology that has cut our noise impact and also managing to make Manchester Airport’s ground operations carbon neutral.”