Rodriguez on UN Panel: ‘It’s a Big Deal’

Mario Redriguez has been executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority since 2014.

Indianapolis Airport Authority Executive Director Mario Rodriguez says his appearance on a panel discussion Wednesday in Montreal will "for all practical purposes" reach the entire world. The Seminar on Green Airports is a United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization event and will draw industry leaders from countries big and small. The event will include leaders from Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates and San Francisco International Airport. ICAO is charged with building consensus among nearly 200 member states and industry groups on standards, recommended practices and policies for the sector globally.

Rodriguez tells Inside INdiana Business his inclusion in the panel "says a lot." He adds "it says a lot about the city. It says a lot about the airport. It says a lot about the community at-large. Everybody should be proud of this because it’s an incredible honor to speak in front of an organization that’s a U.N. organization that represents civil aviation for the world."

Throughout the years, the Indianapolis International Airport has detailed several initiatives connected to its environmental footprint, including:

• Becoming the first LEED-certified airport campus in the U.S. when the new terminal opened in 2008
• Building the largest airport solar array in the world
• Launching all-electric shuttle bus fleet officials say will become the largest in the country
• Housing a BlueIndy electric car-sharing hub near the terminal
• Human-powered mobile device charging bikes inside the airport

Rodriguez says his message will be: "An airport is a tremendous asset to its community; IND connects us to the world and does so in a world-class way that protects our environment."