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 481
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
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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
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