Estimation of flight CO2 emissions and travel time with analytical models

Flights negatively impact the environment and the aviation industry faces significant challenges to decarbonise. This is particularly relevant for short- and medium-haul flights, as operations in these ranges can be less fuel efficient per passenger transported and other transport alternatives could be considered, e.g. rail. The quantification of this environmental impact is usually reliant on estimations of CO2 emissions. Currently available models tend to focus on simple linear relationships between distance and/or time and emissions, which do not differentiate by operation type, or tend to be based on fuel consumption models, which require detailed flight and aircraft parameters on a flight by flight basis, limiting the possibility of network level analysis. We present analytical models calculating gate-to-gate CO2 emissions and travel time based on flight distance and on the number of available seats. These models enable the comparison of the environmental impact of aviation with other means of transport, as operations are translated into passenger transported and time required. Emissions estimated by these models are in line with other CO2 calculators. The models present the advantage of being sensitive to the number of available seats, a parameter generally not explicitly considered. Their applicability is shown in practical examples: analysis of emissions and time of routes, which could potentially be complemented by high-speed rail and night trains.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i InfraestructuraObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum ResponsablesObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::13 - Acció per al ClimaObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::13 - Acció per al Clima::13.2 - Incorporar mesures relatives al canvi climàtic en les polítiques, les estratègies i els plans nacionalsPostprint (published version