Developing production technology pathways of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that align with China’s national conditions and aviation transportation needs is crucial for promoting the SAF industry and achieving China’s carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. This article first projects the future SAF demand in China for the coming decades. Using SAF demand data as an input, this article employs the TOPSIS analysis method to comprehensively evaluate the suitability of four SAF production technology pathways at different stages of development in China, which are Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ), Natural Gas + Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis (G + FT), and Power-to-Liquid (PtL). The research results reveal the following trends: HEFA-based processes are the most suitable technology pathways for China in the near term; the G + FT route, based on energy crops, appears the most likely to support civil aviation needs in the medium to long term. In the long run, the PtL route holds significant potential, especially with the decreasing costs of green electricity, advancements in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology, and improvements in SAF synthesis methods. In the final section of this article, we provide recommendations to drive the development of the SAF industry in China.
Because of its distinct function and geographic conditions, the impact of climate change on the operation, safety, and income of airports in coastal areas is becoming increasingly significant. The measurement of climate resilience can help identify priority needs and measures to adapt to climate change, which is a crucial step in developing an aviation adaptation plan. At present, the concept of climate resilience is relatively complex and lacks a clear uniformity of composition, which has made it challenging to effectively support the development of adaptation strategies. Based on the definition of climate resilience, our first step was to construct an evaluation system for coastal airports to visually represent the level of climate resilience. Next, in this study, we introduced a coupling coordination and obstacle degree model to analyze the coordinated development and key drivers of climate resilience, which could be used to develop a targeted improvement strategy based on the calculation results. In the future, additional measures can be combined from the natural environment, socioeconomics, governance capacity, and climate change risk to enhance the capacity development of the aviation industry to address climate change and foster the establishment of a sustainable development model between the industry and the environment.
As the critical type of infrastructure in the aviation industry, airports urgently require effective measures to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change on operations, management, and safety. This can be accomplished by implementing climate change adaptations such as infrastructure adjustments and operational processes that can enhance the capacity of airports to withstand climate impacts. Improving climate resilience is critical to these adaptation efforts. However, current research in the aviation sector does not comprehensively examine climate resilience or provide systematic frameworks for its enhancement. This work first introduces the definition and mechanisms of airport resilience using the P-SENCE-R model. Then, a framework for improving airport resilience is developed by reviewing existing research and practices to identify key topics and strategies. Finally, decision-making references and methodological guidance for airports to better address climate change and promote the sustainable development of the broader aviation industry are provided.