Sustainable Air Transport Operations and Planning: Digital Twin Pathways to Net-Zero Aviation
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 September 2026 | Viewed by 14
Special Issue Editors
Interests: systems engineering; net-zero engineering; cost engineering; digital twins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: multi-agent and system-of-systems modelling and simulation; resilience engineering; decarbonisation systems engineering; digital twins
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Achieving net-zero aviation requires more than cleaner fuels or efficient aircraft; it demands a digital transformation of the entire air transport ecosystem. Digital twins and their foundational layers, digital models and digital shadows, are emerging as critical enablers of this transition, enhancing system understanding, operational efficiency, and lifecycle optimisation across aircraft, airport, and airspace domains.
This Special Issue focuses on how digital technologies and data-driven systems engineering can accelerate the aviation sector’s path to net zero by integrating AI, IoT, cyber–physical systems (CPS), and real-time analytics into planning and operations. It seeks contributions that demonstrate how digital models support emission forecasting, scenario analysis, and strategic planning; how digital shadows enable right-time performance, energy, and carbon monitoring; and how digital twins deliver predictive maintenance, adaptive control, and closed-loop optimisation of sustainable air systems.
Research topics may include green fleet and infrastructure management, sustainable MRO, intelligent routing and scheduling, energy and fuel integration, and whole-system lifecycle analysis. This Special Issue aims to bridge engineering innovations, data science, and operational excellence, establishing a digital foundation for resilient, efficient, and truly net-zero air transport operations.
Dr. Maryam Farsi
Dr. Christina Latsou
Dr. Bernadin Namoano
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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
- digital twin-enabled aviation systems
- digital models and digital shadows
- net-zero aviation and air system sustainability
- smart and sustainable air transport operations
- predictive and autonomous maintenance
- AI, CPS, and IoT integration in aviation
- data-driven fleet and route optimisation
- lifecycle carbon and energy performance assessment
- sustainable MRO and infrastructure resilience
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.
