Environmental Performance Assessment in NextGen and SESAR: A Case-study Comparison of Methods and Results

Abstract

We compare several NextGen- and SESAR-related analyses with regard to assessment of environmental performance. As both systems start becoming operational, it is important to the aviation community, and those interested in environmental performance in particular, to understand key similarities and differences in how environmental assessments are performed with regard to data, methods, and results. Such similarities and differences are illustrated with a case study that compares the process of assessing environmental performance for improvements related to continuous descent approaches (CDAs). We conclude that there is wide variation in scope of application, especially with regard to attaining system-wide assessment of environmental performance for a single category of operational improvement. Integrated assessment of the environmental performance of multiple operational improvements at the system level will become a challenge and should be addressed by both programs.