Dalaman Becomes World’s First Airport Terminal Powered Entirely by Rooftop Solar

In 2022, Ferrovial Airports reached an agreement with Turkish Infrastructure company YDA Group to acquire a 60% stake in the company that manages the Dalaman International Airport concession located in Southwest Turkey.

The project has reached a major milestone in sustainable aviation, becoming the first airport terminal globally to meet 100% of its electricity demand solely through rooftop solar installations. The completion of Phase 2 of its rooftop solar power project represents a step change in sustainable airport operations.

The solar installation generates more than 20,000 MWh of renewable electricity annually, avoiding approximately 8,500 tons of CO₂ emissions each year — equivalent to the environmental benefit of around 380,000 trees. In addition to clean energy generation, the rooftop panels provide natural shading across skylights and glazed façades, reducing cooling demand and improving energy efficiency during peak summer periods, a critical operational advantage for airport terminals in warm climates.

The system has been fully integrated into the terminal’s existing architecture and operations, using rooftop space only and requiring no expansion of the airport’s physical footprint. The project demonstrates how carbon intensity in complex transport infrastructure can be materially reduced through tailored engineering, intelligent design and optimization of existing assets. This milestone eliminates Scope 2 emissions associated with terminal electricity consumption and establishes a new global benchmark for renewable energy integration in the aviation sector.

The project forms part of a broader sustainability roadmap at Dalaman Airport, which includes internationally recognized initiatives such as its ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 3+ certification. Together with ongoing measures to optimize energy efficiency, resource use and environmental management, the development reinforces a structured, measurable approach to reducing carbon.