TRANS-AIR

TRANS-AIR - Transformation Pathways for Meeting Energy Carrier Demands in the German Aviation Sector

Funding: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR)

Duration: 2026 – 2029

Project Description

The collaborative research project addresses the key challenge of achieving a sustainable transformation of the German aviation sector in the context of the energy transition. Its objective is to develop a systems-based study that designs technologically informed scenarios for the future supply of energy carriers and analyzes their impact on the required infrastructure. In light of the ambitions of the national energy transition, the project develops long-term transformation pathways to enable more climate-friendly aviation and derives, on this basis, policy recommendations for decision-makers in politics and industry.

Within the collaborative project, AIP focuses on two key work packages. In the first work project, airport-specific and scenario-based demand forecasts for different energy carriers are developed using system dynamics modeling. The aim is to derive a robust basis for the design and dimensioning of supply, refueling, and charging infrastructure at German airports. In the second work package, scenario-specific transformation pathways for the provision of energy carriers in the German aviation sector are developed and analyzed at the macro level. This involves coupling a mathematical optimization model with a prospective sustainability assessment in order to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of different development pathways and to provide robust decision-making foundations for the long-term transformation of the sector.

 

Responsible

Dr. Alexander Barke

Inka Peschel

Hongfeng Gao

 

Project Partners

  • Technical University of Braunschweig 
    • Institute of Automotive Management and Industrial Production (coordination)
    • Institute of Flight Guidance

  • Leibniz University Hannover
    • Institute of Electrical Power Systems
    • Institute of Solid State Physics 
  • Technical University of Hamburg 
    • Research Group Resilient and Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Management 

  • Bauhaus Luftfahrt