Researchers examine aviation's path to sustainability

Researchers from SUNY Polytechnic Institute's Sustainable Aerospace Energy Center (SAEC) have published a new study in the Journal of Air Transportation analyzing how the aviation sector is navigating its transition toward sustainability.

Led by Dr. Robert Edgell, Professor of Technology Management and Principal Investigator of SAEC, the research brings together expertise from both the College of Business and the College of Engineering, with Dr. Felipe Henao and Dr. William Durgin serving as co-authors and Co-PIs of the Center. SUNY Poly faculty Jeffrey R. Olney and Rohan Chappala also co-authored this impactful study, which analyzes 781 documents spanning industry, government, and academic sources using advanced text analytics and sociotechnical transition theory.

Rather than focusing solely on new aircraft or fuels, the research identifies four interconnected "Sociotechnical Matters of Concern" shaping aviation's sustainability trajectory: innovating, operationalizing, prognosticating, and synchronizing. Together, these concerns highlight the need to align technological innovation with regulatory foresight, operational feasibility, and public trust.

The findings show that sustainable aviation depends not only on advances such as sustainable aviation fuels, electrification, and hydrogen propulsion, but also on coordinated governance, infrastructure readiness, and societal engagement. The study also proposes a transition-centric multi-criteria decision analysis framework to help decision-makers evaluate technologies and policies through a holistic, systems-based lens.

More information: Robert A. Edgell et al, Aviation's Sustainable Future: Navigating the Sociotechnical Matters of Concern, Journal of Air Transportation (2025). DOI: 10.2514/1.d0573