Improving Mobility and Sustainability with Electric Regional Aircraft

Abstract

Air travel is a key component of American mobility, allowing citizens across the country to travel great distances quickly and efficiently. However, aviation is also a significant component of America’s carbon footprint, and rural citizens lack access to the same level of mobility as their urban counterparts. Economic pressures and rising oil prices have led to a reduction in regional air service across the United States. Electric regional aircraft may offer a solution to these challenges, bringing sustainable aviation to a broad set of communities at a lower cost than traditional jetliners. This thesis explores the optimal routing of these aircraft, with a focus on mobility and sustainability improvements. In a model based on technical targets for aircraft debuting in the next ten years, average trip times decrease by over an hour and carbon emissions decrease by ten percent, with even greater impacts for short-distance trips.