Menzies Aviation advances transition to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) at London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports
A 72-strong team of wounded, injured and sick current and former military personnel has departed from London Heathrow for Sydney, Australia to represent the UK in the fourth Invictus Games. Competitors from 18 nations will compete in 11 medal sports with events being staged across Greater Sydney, including at Sydney Olympic Park and on and around Sydney Harbour. The event will begin with an opening ceremony on 20 October at the Sydney Opera House. The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans. Getting involved in sport provides significant physical and mental health benefits including increasing self-confidence. Of this years UK team, over 60% are new to the Invictus Games. More hopefuls than ever before 451 wounded, injured and sick current and former military personnel trialled for one of the 72 places available on the UK team. The rigorous selection process was based on the benefit the Invictus Games will give an individual as part of their recovery, combined with their performance and commitment to training. The competitors will be joined in Sydney by hundreds of family members and friends who will make the journey to show their support. Team UK has been delivered through a partnership of the Ministry of Defence, The Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes. The Invictus Games Sydney 2018 will take place from 2027 October.
Menzies Aviation, the leading service partner to the world’s airports and airlines, has taken another step towards its net-zero by 2045 target, by advancing the transition from diesel to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) across its ground support equipment (GSE) fleet at London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW) airports.
At Heathrow, around 60% of Menzies’ GSE fleet now runs on HVO and more than 50% at Gatwick, with the remainder of all GSE equipment electric. Building on successful HVO transitions in Gothenburg (GOT), Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), and Amsterdam (AMS), as well as its HVO-fuelled fleet at San Diego International Airport (SAN) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO), this transition reinforces Menzies’ commitment to decarbonising its global operations.
Based on current usage of 65,000 litres of fuel annually, the transition to HVO is projected to cut emissions by up to 165 tonnes of CO₂e each year across London’s LHR and LGW – the equivalent of removing more than 35 passenger cars from the road. According to the latest UK government emissions factors, HVO can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional diesel.
Produced from sustainable feedstocks such as waste vegetable oils and animal fats, HVO is a renewable diesel alternative that offers comparable performance while significantly lowering carbon emissions.
The move forms part of Menzies’ wider All In sustainability strategy and complements its Electric First initiative, which prioritises the electrification of GSE wherever feasible. With the introduction of HVO across the majority of non-electric GSE at Heathrow and Gatwick, Menzies is making strong progress towards operating a fully low-carbon fleet. This marks a major milestone in Menzies’ journey to net-zero and underscores its commitment to taking immediate, practical action to decarbonise its operations.
John Geddes, Chief Governance & Sustainability Officer & Company Secretary, said: “Advancing the use of HVO at two of our largest UK ground handling operations represents another important milestone in our journey to decarbonise and achieve net-zero by 2045. HVO provides an immediate reduction in emissions while we continue to invest in electric ground support equipment as part of our Electric First initiative. By combining renewable fuel alternatives with our long-term electrification strategy, we’re taking tangible action to support our customers’ sustainability goals and the wider industry’s net zero ambitions.”
Menzies continues to work with airports, airlines, and suppliers worldwide to expand the use of renewable fuels and low-emission ground support equipment, contributing to cleaner, more efficient operations across its global network.
