Environmental impacts in the civil aviation sector

Environmental impacts in the civil aviation sector: Current state and guidance

Rupcic, Lea (Technical University of Denmark)
Pierrat, Eleonore (Technical University of Denmark)
Saavedra-Rubio, Karen (Technical University of Denmark)
Thonemann, Nils (Technical University of Denmark)
Ogugua, C.J. (TU Delft Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies)
Laurent, Alexis (Technical University of Denmark)

2023

The aviation sector contributes to environmental problems like climate change, resource depletion, and air pollution. We perform a systematic literature review of life cycle assessment studies to map the environmental impacts in the sector and provide methodological recommendations. The sector is divided into cross-cutting systems, namely aircraft, fuel and propulsion systems, and airports. Our review results confirm the sector's focus on climate change impacts. The mitigation strategies rely mostly on reducing CO₂ emissions during aircraft operations, like implementing sustainable aviation fuels and prospective technologies or decreasing aircraft weight with lightweight components. We use review analyses to identify and discuss knowledge gaps, such as the assessment of noise impacts or non-CO₂ flight emissions. Finally, aviation-specific recommendations are provided to LCA practitioners and aviation stakeholders with respect to data transparency and harmonization of results. Research needs, such as the development of characterization factors, are recommended to developers of life cycle impact assessment methods.

Airport
Aviation
Electric aircraft
Environmental impacts
Life cycle assessment
Sustainable aviation fuels

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:aea859f0-5576-407d-bb65-cd0120f13358

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2023.103717

1361-9209

Transportation Research. Part D: Transport & Environment, 119

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2023 Lea Rupcic, Eleonore Pierrat, Karen Saavedra-Rubio, Nils Thonemann, C.J. Ogugua, Alexis Laurent