Empowering short-haul aviation electrification: Insights into load characterization, grid adaptability, and social welfare

The rise of electric aviation (EA) provides a crucial pathway for sustainable aviation development, advancing global carbon reduction targets and promoting green economic policies. Short-haul electric aviation (SHEA), with its lower energy consumption and reduced reliance on aviation fuel, serves as a practical and impactful entry point for the adoption of EA. However, the widespread adoption of SHEA will pose significant challenges to the regional power grids near airports. Therefore, this paper focuses on the impacts of the power demand of SHEA on the regional power grids, revealing the coexistence of challenges and opportunities. First, using LaGuardia Airport in the USA as a representative airport for a planning study, the unique load characteristics of SHEA, including peak load concentration, load volatility, and different charging schemes tailored for various cities, are analyzed. Subsequently, building on the analyzed load characteristics, the operational impacts on airport-area power grids are investigated, uncovering potential power quality and stability challenges, followed by a review of existing mitigation strategies. Looking forward, emerging intelligent technologies and grid infrastructure upgrades are systematically explored as future enabling solutions to enhance grid adaptability. Finally, the societal contributions of SHEA, including its role in short-haul route development substantiated by a travel satisfaction survey, regional energy optimization, and the promotion of industrial growth and employment creation, are clearly analyzed and synthesized. These findings provide multi-dimensional insights into powering SHEA, comprehensively addressing load characterization, grid adaptability, and social welfare to accelerate the transition to a green economy. • LGA case study highlights clustering of substantial airport-scale peak loads. • Unmanaged megawatt-charging risks severe voltage instability and thermal overload. • Proposed charging strategy optimizes renewable integration and grid efficiency. • Strategic integration of cutting-edge technologies for regional grid adaptability. • Travel survey bridges specific passenger needs with social welfare.