Towards Environmentally Sustainable Aviation: A Review on Operational Optimization

In recent years, the rapid growth of air traffic has intensified pressure on the air transport system, leading to congestion problems in airports and airspace. The projected increase in demand exacerbates these issues, necessitating immediate attention. Additionally, there is a growing concern regarding the environmental impact of the aviation sector. To tackle these challenges, the adoption of advanced methods and technologies shows promise in expanding current airspace capacity and improving its management. This paper presents an overview of sustainable aviation, drawing on publications from academia and industry. The emphasis is on optimizing both flight and ground operations. Specifically, the review delves into recent advancements in airline operations, airport operations, flight operations, and disruption management, analyzing their respective research objectives, problem formulations, methodologies, and computational experiments. Furthermore, the review identifies emerging trends, prevailing obstacles, and potential directions for future research.