Assessment of carbon emission costs for air cargo transportation

This study presents a set of models that calculate carbon emissions in individual phases of flight during air cargo transportation, investigates resultant carbon footprints by aircraft type and flight route, and estimates increases in transportation costs for airlines due to carbon taxes imposed by the EU ETS (European Union Emissions Trading System). The estimated results provide useful references for airlines in aircraft assignment on different routes and in aircraft selection for new purchases. Validation of the model is conducted by simulating the potential impact of the implementation of the EU ETS on costs of air cargo transportation for six routes and six types of aircraft. Results show that the impact may be subject to various factors including unit carbon emissions per aircraft, aviation emission allowances per airline, and carbon trading prices; and that increases in costs of air cargo transportation range from 0% to 5.27% per aircraft per route. Therefore, the implementation of the EU ETS may encourage airlines to cut down their operating costs by reducing their carbon emissions, thereby ameliorating greenhouse gas pollution caused by air cargo transportation.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2014.06.004
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920914000698
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13619209
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Chao, Ching-Cheng
• Publication Date: 2014-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 186-195
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
  • Volume: 33
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1361-9209
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13619209

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air cargo; Airlines; Emissions trading; Greenhouse gases; Pollutants; Simulation; Validation
• Identifier Terms: Emissions Trading Scheme; European Union
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Environment; Freight Transportation; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01545872
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 26 2014 4:34PM