Sustainable Aviation

Aviation is an important component of a functioning global economy. Current studies predict that transport and passenger volumes in the aviation sector – and thus also the relevance of aviation for the ecological impact of the transportation industry – will grow strongly over the next few years. To bring about a long-term reduction in the ecological impact of aviation despite this expected growth, it is necessary to examine and optimize new developments and existing processes in terms of their ecological footprint.

Sustainability analysis in the aviation sector is one of the key research topics of the Life Cycle Engineering Department. Points of emphasis include the Life Cycle Assessment of materials and production processes specific to the aviation sector, of lightweight and high-tech materials, and of components, systems, and alternative fuels. The results of these Life Cycle Assessments can yield specific measures and strategies for ecologically appropriate design. The eco DESIGN approach ensures that this information is incorporated into the development process at an early stage and that ecologically unfavorable solutions are avoided. Further projects deal with the implementation of a Life Cycle Assessment data platform (virtual marketplace) for the aviation sector.