Following a review carried out in 2002 into noise, air quality, water quality, waste management, integration of the airport into the surrounding environment, related land transport and energy, etc., ISO 14001 certification was awarded to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in February 2005 by the certification body DNV. Receiving this certification was a commitment contained in section no. 4 of the Environmental Charter.

The ISO 14001 standard is the recognition by an independent body that a company:

• has established an environmental quality management system,
• has established a means of measuring the progress achieved and the company’s level of expertise in dealing with environmental issues.

ISO 14001 certification is valid for three years with an annual follow-up review carried out by various internal auditors.

The major objectives of environmental management according to the ISO 14001 standard are:

• A commitment to compliance with regulations and other requirements
• The principle of continual improvement in environmental performance
• The organisation of pollution prevention

These objectives are part of the airport’s overall policy.

Toulouse-Blagnac Airport’s environmental management system concerns the activities carried out by the airport administrator within the geographical perimeter of the airport zone.

These activities are:

• Infrastructure design (road networks, buildings, facilities, etc.)
• Implementation
• Maintenance

Environmental certification places particular emphasis on the following areas: noise, air quality, water quality, integration into the surrounding environment, resource management, energy, soil, etc.

Activities carried out under the aegis of airlines, assistants, shops, hire companies, administrative bodies and other businesses at the airport are not tasks of the airport administrator and are therefore not covered by the certification. However, the airport wishes to be an example for businesses located on its site and to encourage them to implement similar initiatives.

ISO 14001 certification calls for a continual improvement process.
This process may be broken down into six stages:

• Taking stock: environmental analysis
• Environmental policy: commitment of the airport’s management teams
• Drawing up a schedule: planning improvements
• Implementation of the schedule
• Evaluation of results
• Assessment: defining new objectives
• Continual improvement

Clicking on each stage will take you to the relevant data of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport.

This initiative enables continual progress to be made: every year, the airport’s activities, their impact and results (indicators) are reviewed; the extent to which objectives have been achieved is analysed; and key areas for improvement are identified.

ISO 14001 certification also requires a high level of communication regarding the airport’s environmental performance and promotes dialogue with the parties concerned (councillors, local residents, the general public, passengers, administrative bodies, etc.).

The long-term objective is the day-to-day implementation within the company of an environmentally-friendly culture (purchasing, maintenance, resource management, training, etc.).