Sustainability Feasibility: A Framework for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mitigation for Midsized U.S. Airports

Abstract

In recent years a significant amount of research has been conducted with the objective of improving efficiency of aircraft operations through optimized aircraft trajectories, thereby reducing harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as CO2. However, as we look at the aviation system more holistically, we discover that there is a serious lack of comprehensive research that addresses reduction of GHG emissions at airports. Although the need for reduction in airport GHG emissions clearly exists, only a few US state or federal policies require airport operators to reduce such emissions. As a response to such a need, this paper develops the methodology for establishing more sustainable airports, analyzes mitigation strategies regarding specific airport operations, and develops a database for emission-tracking that would greatly assist airport officials in making their airport more sustainable. Establishing a precedent for analyzing emissions from airports would prove an integral part in evaluating other sustainability initiatives. This area of research has significant potential for reducing airport emissions, which in the wake of anthropogenic climate change is vital to future sustainability of air transportation.

Decision Support in Selecting Airfield Pavement Design Alternatives Using Life Cycle Assessment: Case Study of Nashville Airport

“…However to date, the literature contains few LCA studies for airfield pavement and other airfield infrastructure than for other types of transportation infrastructure. Most of the existing literature examining airfields with a life cycle perspective has focused mainly on transportation modes comparison [4][5][6][7][8], LCCA [9][10][11], environmental assessments [12][13][14], and exclusively on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [5,[15][16][17]. There are a few tools [18,19] used by the US airports (in-house) to estimate GHG emissions for different life cycle stages, and with different systems boundaries and functional units for a variety of purposes.…”

Analysis of evolution of commercial air traffic CO2 emissions in the European Union

“…In addition to these regular economic practices, air transport industry is responsible to apply environmental measures and to plan for the efficiency improvements and sustainable development. Any effective legal scheme demands deep analyses of its effects on the environment, on national and international economic scales, on the airline industry, and on the travellers (Solomon and Hughey, 2007;Daley, 2010;Sgouridis, Bonnefoy, and Hansman, 2011;ACI, 2011;Monsalud et al, 2012).…”

“…In addition to these regular economic practices, air transport industry is responsible to apply environmental measures and to plan for the efficiency improvements and sustainable development. Any effective legal scheme demands deep analyses of its effects on the environment, on national and international economic scales, on the airline industry, and on the travellers (Solomon and Hughey, 2007; Daley, 2010;Sgouridis, Bonnefoy, and Hansman, 2011; ACI, 2011;Monsalud et al, 2012).Talking about the limiting emissions of aviation to achieve a fair allocation scheme also demands consideration of this fact that the level of aviation industry varies in different countries. According to the studies, the level of responsibility of countries for the total CO2 emissions of international air transport varies with CO2 emissions per capita of countries.…”