Within the framework of the RefMap project, the Aircraft Operations Lab from Carlos III University of Madrid has worked on a recent study published in Transport Policy by researchers Fateme Baneshi, María Cerezo-Magaña, and Manuel Soler. Their research explores how changing flight paths to be more climate-friendly can reduce the impact of aviation on climate change, specifically focusing on non-CO2 emissions.
The study analyzed 7000 flights over the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) airspace. Results showed that planning flight paths with climate in mind could significantly reduce aviation’s non-CO2 climate impact.
Key Findings
- Greatly reduced climate impact: There is a significant potential to reduce climate impact through optimized aircraft trajectories
- Increased operating costs: While climate-friendly routes can mitigate environmental effects, they come with higher operating costs for airlines.
- Traffic pattern changes: Implementing climate-friendly routes alters traffic patterns in areas sensitive to aircraft emissions in terms of climate impact. This can lead to an unbalanced flow of air traffic, increasing potential conflicts.
- Air Traffic Management (ATM) complexity: The study found that individually optimized trajectories deteriorate traffic manageability by increasing the complexity, congestion, and conflicts.
The findings emphasize the importance of considering both environmental and operational aspects in the adoption of climate-optimal flight paths. This enables the development of measures capable of delivering a safe and efficient ATM system with minimal effects on climate.
Read the full article:
Integrating non-CO2 climate impact considerations in air traffic management: Opportunities and challenges. Fateme Baneshi, María Cerezo-Magaña, Manuel Soler. Transport Policy, 2024, ISSN 0967-070X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2024.06.023.
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