- Nationality: Spanish
PhD Thesis
Establishment of environmental performance indicators for aviation from an air navigation service provider (ANSP) perspective
Supervisors
Manuel Fernando Soler Arnedo (UC3M) & María Cerezo Magaña (UC3M)
Abstract
The aviation sector faces the challenge of reducing its environmental impact not only in terms of CO2 emissions, but also in terms of other greenhouse gases (GHGs) and non-CO2 effects such as condensation trails and cirrus cloud formation. The previous article, ‘Data-driven Methodology to Characterise CO2 Emission Discrepancies Between Actual and Optimum Operations’, presents a data-driven methodology to estimate and compare inefficiencies in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, with a focus on the perspective of Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs):
ABSTRACT: This paper presents a data-driven methodology for estimating and comparing fuel consumption inefficiencies and CO2 emissions in the aviation sector, with a focus on improving environmental sustainability from the Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) perspective and contributing to decarbonization goals by emphasizing the establishment of new performance indicators for assessing the environmental impact of ANSPs. The methodology involves predicting the fuel consumption of actual flight trajectories from publicly available historical surveillance and weather data and comparing it to that of each flights respective performance optimal trajectory using a multivariate regression factor weighting analysis. A case study of Airbus A320 flights between LAX and SFO is used to demonstrate the methodology’s effectiveness, including the development of a representative performance indicator for this aircraft type and flight route. The results show a significant relationship between predictor variables such as differences in altitude, distance, time, and wind between actual and optimal trajectories, with differences in distance, which ANSPs can control, being identified as the most influential factor. The methodology has the potential to enhance aviation efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by providing a framework for evaluating the impact of ANSPs on environmental performance and offering insights for optimizing operational trajectories.
This PhD project proposes to extend this methodology to develop environmental performance indicators that comprehensively address all GHG and non-CO2 impacts. It aims to provide a reference framework that will enable ANSPs to improve their environmental sustainability and contribute more effectively to the decarbonisation objectives of the sector.
PhD in Aerospace Engineering UC3M 