expertise
Environmental impact
impact of emissions on
Climate & environment
Aircraft emissions have negative impacts on the climate and the environment. CO2 and NOx emissions and contrails contribute to global warming. Emissions of PM (particulate matter), NOx, SOx, VOC, HC and CO have negative impacts on health, nature and the built environment near airports.
Beelining assesses the environmental impacts of air traffic and advises on how to reduce the impacts.
impact assessment
Methodology
The environmental impacts of air traffic depend on the level and harmfulness of aircraft emissions. The impacts are estimated in two steps. First, the level of emissions is determined. The environmental impacts are obtained by combining the emissions with their harmfulness to humans and nature.
Determining emissions
Emissions from air traffic is estimated using the FLAPS.25 model. FLAPS.25 is an advanced and flexible emission model based on ICAO recommendations. The model combines actual flight data with the latest emissions data from ICAO, FOCA, the FAA to arrive at an accurate estimate.
The model distinguishes 25 different substances, including CO2, NOx, SOx, VOC, HC and CO. In addition, the model supports all common aircraft and engine types, from the smallest single-engine aircraft to the largest jets. Unlike most other emission models, FLAPS.25 also estimates emissions from Auxiliary Power Units (APUs). In doing so, the model provides a complete picture of the emissions of an airport, airline or country.
Emissions are determined using a bottom-up approach. This involves estimating the emissions of each individual flight and flight phase based on aircraft and engine type, flight distance and operational procedures at the departure and arrival airport (such as thrust settings, taxi times, APU use and so on). This is important because emissions vary by engine type, flight stage and procedures used. Aggregating the emissions of individual flights provides an overall picture of the emissions of a given airline, airport or country.
Determining environmental impacts
The environmental impacts are subsequently estimated by determining the harmfulness of the emissions to humans and nature. The harmfulness of various substances is represented by damage or prevention costs. Finally, the environmental impacts of the various substances are expressed into monetary terms (monetized). This allows for a comparison of the environmental impacts with other impacts of aviation, such as the positive impacts on consumers and businesses.
for airports, airlines and governments
Applications
Beelining assesses the environmental impacts of air traffic for governments, airports and airlines for various purposes:
Monitoring
By monitoring the environmental impacts over time, the extent to which environmental targets have been achieved can be tracked. If it turns out that emissions have decreased less than intended, additional measures can be taken to still achieve the targets. Monitoring environmental impacts also provides insight into the effectiveness of measures taken, such as fleet renewal and operational improvements.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking environmental impacts provides insight into how a country, airport or airline performs against their peers. Based on this, lessons can be drawn on how to reduce the impacts further.
Forecasting
Future environmental impacts can be predicted based on developments in: traffic, fleet renewal, the use of sustainable fuels (SAF) and operations. Based on this, it can be determined whether the environmental impacts in the future will remain within the applicable limits. If this is not the case, measures can be taken to ensure that this is the case.
Scenario studies
The effectiveness of (additional) measures to reduce the environmental impact of air traffic is determined with a scenario study. Such a study shows to what extent various measures contribute to environmental targets. Examples of measures that can be assessed in terms of effectiveness are: fleet renewal, use of sustainable fuels (SAF), alternative thrust settings, single-engine taxiing, limiting APU use and so on.
questions about this expertise?
Contact
If you have any questions about this expertise or about our services, please feel free to contact us by e-mail or via the contact form.
Contact details
info@beelining.nl
+31 (0)6 2823 7401
www.beelining.nl
KvK: 83803157
BTW: NL003875598 B18
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experience with different
Types of impact studies
Beelining has extensive experience with different types of impact studies, including economic and environmental impact studies, Social Cost-Benefit Analyses (SCBAs) and cost-effectiveness studies. Which type of study is most appropriate depends on the research question.
Economic impact
How much employment and value added (GDP) are supported by an airport, airline or route?
Environmental
How much emissions does the operation of an airport or airline cause and how can they be reduced?
SCBA
Do the positive impacts of an investment or policy measure outweigh the negative impacts on society?
Cost-effectiveness
Which investment or policy measure achieves a given emission or noise target at the lowest possible cost?