Transforming Airport Operations: Sustainable Multimodal Integration for the Future of Air Transport
A special issue of Future Transportation (ISSN 2673-7590).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 6 August 2026 | Viewed by 73
Special Issue Editors
Interests: influence of the organization of the ground handling vehicles on the aircraft handling duration; management of aircraft maintenance processes; fluid dynamics; aircraft health management
Interests: engineering modeling and simulation; aircraft engines; computational fluid dynamics (CFD); drone design
Interests: fluid mechanics; aerodynamics; experimental fluid mechanics; turbomachinery; aeronautics; computational fluid dynamics; supersonic fluid dynamics; supersonic wind tunnels; numerical simulation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Airports are undergoing a paradigm shift from independent aviation facilities to integrated, multimodal transportation hubs. Faced with increasing global mobility needs and sustainability as both a guiding policy and operating imperative, there is a pressing need to reinvent airport operations by innovatively and sustainably incorporating multimodal concepts. This Future Transportation Special Issue, titled “Transforming Airport Operations: Sustainable Multimodal Integration for the Future of Air Transport,” will shape how seamless connectivity between air, rail, road, and future modes of transport can transform airports into low-carbon, efficient, and user-friendly mobility ecosystems.
The scope of this Special Issue encompasses technological, infrastructural, operational, and policy-driven solutions to multimodal integration. It invites contributions that consider both passenger and freight transport systems for achieving interoperability, real-time information exchange, ground access optimization, and climate-resilient transport planning. It will establish a scientific platform for advancing the state of the art in economically efficient, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable airport multimodal systems.
The research field is of growing importance as airports face mounting pressure to reduce emissions, improve accessibility, and prepare for disruptive technologies such as autonomous vehicles, electrified transportation, and mobility-as-a-service (MaaS). Synthesizing these elements requires coordinated innovation across disciplines, including transportation engineering, urban planning, logistics, environmental science, and data analytics.
This Special Issue will inspire transformative solutions that facilitate future-ready, sustainable airport operations globally. We welcome original research articles, case studies, reviews, and conceptual frameworks. Suggested themes include the following:
- Sustainable ground access planning and modal shift strategies;
- Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) frameworks for airport regions;
- Electrification and decarbonization of airport-associated transportation;
- High-speed rail and public transit integration with airport terminals;
- Digital platforms and AI for real-time multimodal coordination;
- Passenger-centric design and inclusive accessibility;
- Policy, governance, and financing models for multimodal infrastructure.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Iyad Alomar
Dr. Adham Elmenshawy
Dr. Ali Arshad
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Future Transportation is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- multimodal transportation
- airport operations
- sustainable mobility
- mobility-as-a-service (MaaS)
- smart infrastructure
- decarbonization
- public transit integration
- urban air mobility (UAM)
- digitalization in transport
- transportation planning
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
