Purpose-The paper aims to assess the potential of aircraft operation from city centres to achieve shortened travel times and the involved aircraft design process. Design/methodology/approach-The paper describes the methodical approach and iterative procedure of the design process. An assessment of potential technologies is conducted to provide the required enhancements to fulfil the constraints following an inner-city operation. Operational procedures were analysed to reduce the noise propagation through flight path optimization. Furthermore a ground based assisted takeoff system was conceived to lower required takeoff field length and to prevent engine sizing just for the takeoff case. Cabin design optimization for a fast turnaround has been conducted to ensure a wide utilization spectrum. The results prove the feasibility of an aircraft developed for inner-city operation. Findings-A detailed concept for a 60 passenger single aisle aircraft is proposed for an Entry-Into-Service year 2040 with a design range of 1,500 nautical miles for a load factor of 90 %. Although the design for STOL and low noise operation had to be traded partly with cruise efficiency, a noteworthy reduction in fuel burn per passenger and nautical mile was achieved against current aircraft. Practical implications-The findings will contribute to the evaluation of the feasibility and impact of the Flightpath 2050 goal of a four hour door-to-door by providing a feasible but ambitious example. Furthermore, it highlights possible bottlenecks and problems faced, when realizing this goal. Originality/value-The paper draws its value from the consideration of the overall sizing effects at aircraft level and from a holistic view on an inner-city airport/aircraft concept.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.