The Ottawa Airport Authority (the Authority) is committed to improving environmental performance and reducing the impact its operations have on the environment. The Environmental Performance Report tracks progress through the following key performance indicators.

At the same time, the annual Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report outlines progress on specific material goals that promote sustainable and ethical practices across the organization and community. 

STORMWATER QUALITY

For safety reasons, aircraft require de-icing during the winter months. The Authority monitors all stormwater property outlets for glycol and other parameters resulting from deicing activities.

No glycol exceedances occurred in during the 2024-2025 deicing season.  

Combined glycol Type I and Type IV application (in litres)

De-icing season (October to April)

2024-2025: 3,116,243
2023-2024: 2,787,605
2022-2023: 3,164,868**
2021-2022: 1,626,458*
2020-2021: 516,170*

*Significant decrease in air traffic due to the pandemic significantly reduced the amount of glycol used at YOW.

** Return to pre-pandemic traffic.

2026 Goals

• Continue to monitor water quality in relation to airport operations, mitigating effects as needed. 
• Continue with repairs and maintenance of the sampling stations as more components reach end of life.
   

SPILL RESPONSE

Accidental spills typically occur due to human error or equipment malfunction, mainly during aircraft servicing. The Authority and operators work to minimize the impact when spills occur. Most spills occur on hard surfaces, and the responsible parties clean them immediately before any environmental impacts are incurred. 

In 2025, 117 spills were reported. One spill entered a storm drain. This spill was a small volume of glycol that entered the storm drain before containment measures could be implemented. This was confirmed to have not left the airport property and Clean Water Works successfully backflushed the storm drains involved. All other spills were contained and prevented from entering the environment. 

Significant spills

Significant spills include spills entering the storm drain, regardless of quantity, and/or when site remediation is required. Reported to Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

2025: 1
2024: 1
2023: 1
2022: 0
2021: 0

2026 Goals

• Continue to promote internal and external employee awareness.
• Analyze Vortex spill data to create an interactive map and monitor high risk spill areas. 

AIRCRAFT NOISE

Although the Authority has Transport Canada-approved noise abatement procedures in place, we know that some members of the public feel that aircraft noise is a nuisance.

The Authority tries to work with the City of Ottawa to discourage non‑airport compatible land uses and minimize future noise impacts on residents. Despite these efforts, there is persistent pressure from developers to introduce residential projects within areas affected by aircraft noise, including portions of the Airport Operational Influence Zone.

Airside infrastructure projects can disrupt commercial aircraft traffic patterns and can impact the community. To raise awareness and mitigate impacts, the Authority notifies the community ahead of time of temporary runway closures by posting notifications on our website (YOW.ca) and on our social media platforms.

In 2025, 80 households registered 173 noise complaints compared to 140 in 2024, 86 in 2023, 97 in 2022, 146 in 2021, 87 in 2020, and 117 in 2019. 

The following provides a breakdown:

• 49 complaints related to commercial airline activities.
• 83 complaints due to circuit training originating from a flying club.
• 22 complaints related to research/unknown sources.
• 13 complaints related to helicopters.
  • NRC, Ornge, Ottawa Police
• 3 complaints related to military flights.
• 3 complaints related to other sources.

There were no NAP infractions as per the Canadian Aviation Regulations.

Complaints / 1000 Aircraft Movements by year

2025: 3.07
2024: 1.93
2023: 1.72
2022: 2.46
2021: 8.39

The Authority logs all aircraft noise complaints and investigates them to ensure compliance with noise abatement procedures and the Canadian Aviation Regulations. Flight information concerning possible procedural deviations is provided to Transport Canada for investigation and enforcement purposes. 

The Noise management at YOW page on our website provides community members with a more in-depth understanding of the Airport Authority's role in noise management. 

2025 is the second year of using the Vortex Noise Management System to streamline data collection and reporting. This system allows residents to submit noise complaints in one place, while also helping to identify recurring patterns and trends in reported noise complaints.

2026 Goals

• Continue to monitor and respond to noise complaints, discuss findings with residents, and identify recurring issues and solutions, where possible.
• Work with NAV CANADA and the aviation community to ensure compliance with proper procedures to minimize impacts on populated areas.
• Work with the City of Ottawa and real estate developers to avoid construction of residential communities in areas with a high volume of aircraft traffic.  

WASTE DIVERSION

The main contributor to emissions from waste sent to landfill comes from buried organic material that decomposes into methane. Methane is a significant contributor to GHG emissions and climate change. Therefore, diverting organic material from landfill abates most of the emissions, and it can be reused as compost.

While last year’s data was collected during the 2024 waste audit, our 2025 data has been collected from our waste management contractor’s materials report. 

Waste stream / Capture rate (%)

The capture rate is the proportion of waste correctly sorted into its designated waste stream, measured against the total waste produced for that waste stream within the given period.

Organic: 4.7
Paper/cardboard recycling: 9.2
Mixed containers: 3.5
Metal: 3.0
Wood: 0.7

2026 Goals

• Work with our concessions and cleaning staff to improve waste diversion rates, both front and back of house.
• Reduce the volume of plastic waste being generated.
• Improve signage and strategize bin placement.

HAZARDOUS WASTE

In 2025, we continued to safely dispose of hazardous waste. Our electronic waste recycling program was initiated in 2023 and continued successfully throughout 2025.

*The electronic waste program was launched in 2023 and completed in 2024. During this period, the initial waste collector reported the total weight of e-waste collected across both years as a combined figure. To ensure accurate reporting, the remaining e-waste collected in 2024 was added to the 2023 total. Moving forward, e-waste quantities (in kg) will be tracked and reported separately by year for greater transparency and precision.

2026 Goals

• Continue to educate staff on proper disposal of hazardous waste.
• Continue to replace hazardous products with more environmental alternatives such as replacing metal halide and fluorescent bulbs with LED light bulbs. 
• Implement and refine a battery recycling program.

AIRPORT CARBON ACCREDITATION

YOW joined Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program in 2016 and is currently at Level 3. The Authority has also embarked on Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Net Zero Challenge and has achieved a bronze rating.

The overall roadmap to the airport’s decarbonization uses a combination of strategies, including electrification of our fleet and building heating systems. Optimization of our building systems will also reduce energy use. Renewable fuels, once available for purchase, will be used where fleet electrification is not possible. 

The installation of vehicle charging infrastructure is continuing. 

Summary of our infrastructure installation

Direct GHG emissions 

In 2025, we produced 5,166 tCO2e of direct greenhouse gas emissions. This represents an increase since 2024 but is similar to the emissions produced in 2023. 

*2021 to 2024 tCO2e values have been updated from previous years using the latest ACERT tool and more accurate data collection methods – see 2025 ESG report for details.

**Covid-19 pandemic: While the pandemic significantly reduced passenger activity, minimum operational requirements for the airport did not change materially. As such, the emissions per 1000 passengers increased significantly. Figures should stabilize over the next years as recovery continues.

As part of our net zero efforts, the airport will only be reporting total emissions rather than relative emissions (tonnes/100 passengers) to provide greater transparency with the public. This approach presents a challenge, given the forecasted expansion of the airport’s operations, while simultaneously pursuing ways to reduce GHG emissions. This method of reporting will better reflect the airport’s overall environmental impact. However, at first glance, it may not highlight the decrease in emissions per passenger, which would have been more significant if not for the efforts taken to reduce direct GHG emissions.

2026 Goals

• Continue to map all airport-related carbon emissions as per the Level 3 accreditation process.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions across airport operations, where feasible.
• Find better and local alternatives to using carbon offsets. 
• Continue to collaborate with stakeholders to reduce Scope 3 emissions. 
• Upgrade and develop plans targeting greenhouse gas emission reduction to guide existing and upcoming infrastructure projects. 
• Educate and promote climate awareness among staff and stakeholders.

VEHICLE EFFICIENCY

The Authority’s vehicle fleet includes various equipment types; from small hand-held equipment to light-duty fleet vehicles, all the way to large industrial 1000 HP snow blowers. Fuel consumption varies considerably depending on the vehicle and its intended use, and the duration and severity of winter weather events. To aid in lowering fuel consumption and emissions, the Authority has a strict “no idling” policy that dictates that vehicles not in use are to be turned off and plugged in where applicable. The Authority also aims to replace all internal combustion engines (ICEs) with electric or low-emitting fuel alternatives, as part of its Net Zero Plan. Once renewable fuels are available in the Ottawa area, they will be an integral part of reducing our emissions. 

Fuel use (in litres)

In 2025, the Authority continued the expansion of its vehicle charging infrastructure. This expansion not only includes charging infrastructure for our Authority fleet but also includes charging opportunities for our ground support contractors and the public. 

2025: 579,953
2024: 396,337
2023: 458,807
2022: 442,069
2021: 353,090 

2026 Goals

• Train staff and stakeholders on newly published “no idling” policy.
• Reduce consumption by continuing to research technology that improves efficiency.
• Maintain a proactive maintenance schedule, enhancing the fleet’s overall efficiency.
• Replace each end-of-life vehicle or equipment with a low-emitting alternative, if feasible. 

BUILDING EFFICIENCY

Electricity

As we move away from fossil fuels, electricity use is expected to increase significantly in the future due to the electrification of heating systems and the adoption of electric vehicles. 

Electricity use (in GW/h)

2025: 24.2
2024: 23.3
2023: 23.6
2022: 22.2
2021: 19.7

2026 Goals

• Continue to retrofit lighting to LED.
• Continue to monitor the Building Automation system (BAS) optimization program.
• Update existing infrastructure and align new infrastructure projects with upcoming GHG emission reduction plans.

Water

Water use varies yearly based on factors such as passenger volume and weather. In 2025, water usage for the airport was 72 398 m3. 

Water consumption (in m3)

2025: 72,398
2024: 76,355
2023: 66,267
2022: 63,156
2021: 29,366

2026 Goals

• Continue to monitor tenant and the Authority's water usage.
• Implement and promote methods to reduce water consumption, where feasible. 

Natural gas

Natural gas has an emission factor of 1.89 kg/m3 of CO2e. It is used almost exclusively for heating buildings, and a natural gas fueled emergency power generator will also be installed in the near future. In 2023, the Authority introduced a Building Automation System (BAS) optimization program with the goal of reducing energy consumption and increasing overall efficiency

Natural gas use (in m3)

2025: 1,253,208
2024: 979,229
2023: 1,599,355
2022: 1,257,000
2021: 1,201,077

2026 Goals

• Continue Parkade renovation to include electrification of the primary heating systems and continue planning to upgrade other building’s heating systems to electric as well.
• Investigate options for procurement of renewable natural gas (RNG).