Assessing the Deployment of Electric Aircraft from Energy, Environmental, and Economic Perspectives

Electric aircraft represent a promising pathway for decarbonizing the aviation sector, offering significant potential for sustainable transformation in air transportation. This study develops a life cycle assessment–multi-criteria decision-making analytical framework to evaluate the developmental prospects of electric aircraft. This study employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate electric aircraft development and integrates multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) to assess their potential. First, LCA and life cycle cost (LCC) are applied to compare the energy consumption, environmental impact, and economic costs of electric versus conventional aircraft. These results then inform MCDM, with the system boundary guiding indicator selection. The results show that electric aircraft consume slightly more energy than conventional aircraft, and the pollutant emissions are only 50% of that of conventional aircraft, thereby significantly reducing life cycle pollutant emissions and exhibiting high development potential. The cost of conventional aircraft significantly exceeds that of electric aircraft. Total energy consumption, global warming potential, and fuel usage cost are essential for electric aircraft development. This study provides valuable insights for stakeholders seeking to advance sustainable aviation solutions while addressing complex technical and economic considerations.