Quantifying climate impacts of flight operations: A discrete-event life cycle assessment approach

Abstract

With initiatives such as the European Green Deal establishing more stringent environmental requirements, there is an increasing need to develop aircraft technologies and sustainable aviation practices with reduced climate impacts. Additionally, conventional environmental Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) often struggle to capture the dynamic and complex nature of aircraft operations; in particular, non-CO 2 in-flight impacts, which contribute significantly to climate change, are often overlooked. In this study, we improve a discrete-event LCA approach with a climate impact evaluation model and apply it to scenario analyses comparing different aircraft designs, fuel types, and flight schedules. Our findings reveal that, contrary to previous LCA studies, the climate impact per kilometre flown increases with longer flight distances and that an efficiently planned flight schedule can reduce the overall environmental impact. The study highlights the necessity of incorporating non-CO 2 effects and operational scenarios into LCA to achieve a more accurate understanding of aviation’s environmental impact. • Turboprops have lower environmental impact but require more maintenance than turbofans. • The global warming potential per flown kilometre increases with flight distance. • Using power-to-liquid fuels can reduce the global warming potential by approx. 45% • Lower cruising altitude and flight speed can decrease non-CO2 effects. • Aircraft-adapted flight schedules can optimise performance and efficiency.