Creating Sustainable Aircraft and Routes: The Role of Emissions Analysis by Phase of Flight

The transportation industry is one of the largest sources of emissions in the United States, accounting for 29% of all emissions. Air transportation contributes a certain portion of these emissions with its reliance on jet fuel. Aircraft emissions occur at different rates, depending on the phase of flight. Some phases constitute the shortest amount of operational time but still account for a significant amount of greenhouse gas and criteria air pollutant emissions. Additionally, some phases of flight are more difficult to decarbonize due to the current limitations in battery and hydrogen fuel cell technology. Thus, electrifying the entire commercial fleet is not a feasible decarbonization solution. In this study, a method is developed for evaluating the various alternative fuel options for all phases of a flight, and a recommendation is made for using the most feasible alternative fuel for each phase of flight. Using the Multi-criteria Decision Analysis approach, emissions, and performance characteristics such as passenger capacity, fuel weight, and range are compared to determine which types of aircraft and fuels are best suited for specific origin-destination pairs.