Work

Estimation of aircraft fuel consumption and emissions during taxiing processes

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The aviation sector faces growing challenges in reducing emissions as global passenger numbers continue to rise. While most research focuses on flight operations, this research investigates aircraft emissions during taxiing. Therefore, existing taxiing fuel models are compared and evaluated on a theoretical and empirical basis. Using an extensive dataset of real-world taxiing data from a European hub-airport, we evaluate linear models widely used in practice based on ICAO fuel burn indices and more sophisticated models that account for operational factors and ambient conditions. Additionally, we estimate machine learning models to identify relationships not captured by current models. Results show that machine learning approaches provide more accurate fuel consumption predictions than traditional methods. Notably, empirically calibrated thrust settings are higher than literature defaults. However, unexplained variance remains, suggesting potential for further improvements. Our findings offer valuable insights for integrating emission models into airport operations, helping stakeholders implement effective emission reduction strategies.

Source: Transportation Research Part D Transport and Environment

DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2026.105330

Authors: Tim Knacker, Till Dannewald, Thomas Kirschstein

Institutions: RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Aircraft Design and Technologies

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450