Environmental Degradation and the Implementation of the Circular Economy in Commercial Aviation

Abstract

Commercial aviation has made noteworthy contributions to society and the world economy over the past century. As growth in air traffic and the demand for commercial aircraft increase, the industry must grapple with concerns over environmental degradation and Earth's limited resources. In this setting, the circular economy, which is based on the four pillars of reduce, reuse, recycle, and rent, is considered a necessary alternative to the current linear economy due to the need for environmental restoration and resource-use minimization. It takes significant modifications to consider the complexities of aircraft systems and software manufacturers and concerns over airworthiness, safety, and convenience while coordinating the transformation of air transport and airports to a circular economy. Still, stepwise experimentation has been initiated in air transport, airports, manufacturing, and decommissioning processes.