ALICIA: Working towards a comprehensive digital assessment of aviation (artist impression)
Digital assessment platform ALICIA forecasts the climate, environmental, economic and social impacts of revolutionary aircraft technologies at multiple levels – aircraft, airports and the global air transport system – throughout their entire life cycle.
Climate impact of aviation: Presentation of the ALICIA dashboard
At ILA 2024, DLR showcased the interactive ALICIA dashboard, which presents scenarios for increasing aviation's climate compatibility by 2050 and incorporates key factors such as passenger demand, fleet renewal and developments in the fuel market.
How can aviation be made climate-compatible while remaining accessible to all? What new aircraft technologies and procedures are needed to achieve this? How significant is the demand for renewable energy sources and sustainable aviation fuels?
As part of the Aviation Life Cycle and Impact Assessment (ALICIA) research project, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is developing a digital assessment platform to holistically analyse the aviation system. The goal is to provide well-founded answers to pressing questions surrounding climate-compatible and sustainable aviation.
The platform enables the assessment of short-, medium- and long-term impacts of technologies, fuels, operational procedures, policy measures and future scenarios in terms of their climate impact, energy demands and economic value over the entire life cycle. An interactive dashboard visualises these complex relationships, supporting industry and policymakers in making data-driven decisions about the future of aviation.
ALICIA is built on the latest scientific research, integrating data from simulation models, flight experiments and large-scale studies, such as the DLR EXACT project. Its comprehensive methodology allows for precise assessments of aviation's performance and sustainability, particularly in relation to climate and environmental impact.
DLR promotes close collaboration across its areas of expertise, working nationally and internationally with organisations from research, industry and government to ensure a scientifically robust, system-wide evaluation of aviation.
As part of the 'Climate-Neutral Aviation' working group, established by the German Federal Ministries for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and Digital and Transport, ALICIA has already been used to evaluate and discuss proposals from industry. The project is also closely linked to the EXACT project, facilitating synergies in methodological and technical development.
Through ALICIA, DLR is making a decisive contribution to ensuring aviation is climate-compatible, sustainable and competitive for the future.
ALICIA project – Aviation Life Cycle and Impact Assessment
