Eco-efficiency performance of airlines in eastern Asia: A principal component analysis based sustainability assessment

Abstract

Bringing sustainability practices to the aviation industry has helped in offsetting carbon emissions to a great extend. However, the question of whether these practices neutralize carbon emissions is yet unanswered. The research presents an eco-efficiency performance analysis on selected seven airlines in Eastern Asia based on data availability using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as the evaluation technique. The study was carried out with five environmental indicators as inputs (Electricity Consumption, Jet fuel Consumption, GHG emissions, water consumption, and waste generated) and four value-added indicators as the outputs (revenue, passengers, employees, and cargo carried) to compare the sustainability performance levels for the selected airlines. The data related to the airlines required for the assessment was obtained from several database resources, including the GRI, annual airline sustainability reports, ICAO, and IATA. All Nippon Airlines (ANA) is the most eco-efficient and sustainably performing airline in Eastern Asia based on the selected indicators and the obtained datasets. It was observed that there is a discrepancy in the measuring units for the indicators in the metric system used in the published sustainability reports between airlines; thus, collecting complete and consistent data is best recommended to evaluate each airline's sustainability performance from a broader perspective.