Chapter 9 - Optimization-based decision making for sustainable transport: Insights into the aviation industry

The increasing recognition of environmental and social concerns has led to sustainable transport gaining significant attention in recent years, positioning it as a critical component of the transportation system. Unlike traditional economic-oriented decision models, sustainable transport emphasizes the consideration of environmental and social impacts resulting from transportation activities, aiming to enhance efficiency while reducing these impacts. Efforts to achieve low greenhouse gas emissions and eliminate tailpipe pollution have spurred extensive research on new transport business models, such as multimodal transport, as well as alternative fuel sources such as electricity. This chapter first aims to identify the key implications of sustainability and primary areas of sustainable research within the aviation industry. A set of applications is presented that focus on modeling, simulating, and employing optimization techniques to foster the development of a sustainable aviation transport system. In contrast to conventional decision models, sustainable transport models involve more intricate measurement objectives and necessitate the consideration of various additional constraints. The chapter will provide a systematic classification of the practices, and emerging trends within the area of sustainable aviation transport. Moreover, these insights will serve as a valuable resource for enlightening researchers and practitioners about real-life applications of sustainable research in the aviation industry.