Travel option-based environmental comparison between passenger aircraft and high-speed rail

Abstract

The short-haul flights have higher emission values than medium or long-haul flights when emissions per distance are considered. In this study, the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing short-haul flights which carried out by a narrow-body commercial aircraft from/to Konya City in Turkey with regional jets or high-speed trains (HSRs) has been investigated. The flight trajectory is selected from Konya Airport to İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, and that trajectory is a frequently performed domestic flight between Konya and İstanbul. The IMPACT platform is used for the calculation of fuel burn and gas emissions. According to the results, traveling with regional jets or high-speed trains from/to Konya City which is the most 15th polluted city in Europe, provides advantages in terms of environmental impact. Traveling with HSR which is the best traveling option in this study, provides approximately 3.3 times more green travel than the currently used narrow-body passenger aircraft between Konya and İstanbul. In addition, this mode of transportation can become more environmentally friendly by using renewable energy sources to produce its electricity needs. It is expected that this study will serve as a guide for airline and high-speed rail operators and regulators to determine the most environmentally efficient travel options based on fuel burn and emission parameters.