Socio-economic life cycle assessment of future aircraft systems

Abstract The development of novel aircraft based on electric propulsion is a key strategy to achieve emission reductions in the aviation sector despite the continuously growing demand for air travel. Most sustainability assessments of aircraft focus on environmental indicators and neglect important socio-economic aspects. We address this gap by developing a conceptual framework for the socio-economic sustainability assessment of aircraft with novel propulsion systems. The framework considers the specific requirements for socio-economic sustainability in the aviation sector and builds on established methods such as life cycle costing and social life cycle assessment to complement the environmental perspective in sustainability assessments.