2022/09/07 by Vreni Reiter, Augusto Voltes-Dorta, Pere Suau-Sánchez · 1 voice · 1 citation
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Engineering · Social Sciences · #Air Traffic Management and Optimization #Aviation Industry Analysis and Trends #Transportation Planning and Optimization
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.cstp.2022.09.001
openalex publication_date 2022/09/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02
In recent years, a ban on short-haul flights for which alternative, more environmentally friendly transportation is available has been on European regulatory agendas, particularly in countries like Germany, with its well-developed high-speed rail (HSR) and a dense network of low-cost, point-to-point airline traffic. This study aims to quantify the potential impact on CO2 emissions of substituting short-haul flights with rail frequencies in 87 German air travel corridors. Using OAG data on passenger bookings and airline schedules for 2019, as well as current rail travel times, we determine the target flights by looking at the actual proportion of connecting passengers per frequency. We estimate a potential reduction in CO2 emissions of between 2.7% and 22%, depending on how strict the flight substitution is. However, the social benefits of those carbon emissions might fall short of the travel time losses experienced by the passengers. Increased investment to improve rail speeds and intermodal accessibility appears necessary before the substitution policies can be implemented.