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Promoting transition towards sustainable air transport systems: A hybrid decision support system for effective national-level performance evaluation

Author

Listed:
  • Kara, Karahan
  • Yalçın, Galip Cihan
  • Özekenci, Emre Kadir
  • Bilek, Günal
  • Simic, Vladimir
  • Tunçsiper, ÇaÄŸatay
  • Pamucar, Dragan

Abstract

Air transport plays a pivotal role in enhancing economic development by supporting trade, tourism, and regional competitiveness. The growing environmental concerns and social expectations have necessitated the transition towards sustainable air transport systems. Sustainable air transport refers to aviation activities that balance environmental, economic, and social objectives, aiming to minimize carbon emissions, promote renewable energy usage, and enhance socio-economic welfare. In this study, a novel multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM)-based decision support system (DSS) is proposed to evaluate the sustainable air transport performance of the European countries. The main objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive and integrative framework for measuring and ranking the sustainable air transport performance of nations. A hybrid method, termed fractional fuzzy–ranking comparison-response to criteria weighting (RANCOM)–response to criteria weighting (RECA)–ranking technique by geometric mean of similarity ratio to optimal solution (RATGOS), is introduced. DSS consists of five main stages: expert-based subjective weighting using fractional fuzzy RANCOM, objective weighting via RECA, aggregation of weights, and final performance ranking through the RATGOS method. The results indicate that Germany ranks highest, while Cyprus has the lowest sustainable air transport performance among the evaluated countries. The criterion "commercial aircraft fleet by age of aircraft" is determined to have the highest importance among the sustainable air transport performance indicators. The study provides a comprehensive, replicable framework for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to monitor and improve sustainable aviation systems. It contributes to the literature by addressing the gap in national-level sustainable air transport performance evaluation.

Suggested Citation

  • Kara, Karahan & Yalçın, Galip Cihan & Özekenci, Emre Kadir & Bilek, Günal & Simic, Vladimir & Tunçsiper, ÇaÄŸatay & Pamucar, Dragan, 2026. "Promoting transition towards sustainable air transport systems: A hybrid decision support system for effective national-level performance evaluation," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaitra:v:133:y:2026:i:c:s0969699725002273
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102964
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    References listed on IDEAS

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