Cruise altitude patterns for minimizing fuel consumption and emission: A detailed analysis of five prominent aircraft

This study conducts a comprehensive analysis of fuel consumption and emissions associated with the installation of the most commonly used engine combinations currently available on five distinct types of BADA 4 (Base of Aircraft Data), ANP (Aircraft Noise and Performance), and AEM (Advanced Emissions Model) aircraft supplied by two distinct aircraft manufacturers to the civil air transport sector. The comparison spans a total of 18 flight scenarios (90 flights) for each aircraft, ranging in altitude from FL300 to FL385. To achieve this, the research employs a comprehensive approach encompassing data acquisition from EUROCONTROL's Integrated Aircraft Noise and Emissions Modelling Platform (IMPACT), robust data analysis, and advanced statistical techniques. The goal of this study is to investigate variations in fuel consumption and emissions at different cruising altitudes for various commercial aircraft types, assessing the veracity of the commonly assumed decrease in fuel consumption and associated emissions with altitude, and exploring the impact of individual aircraft assessments on the precision and comprehensiveness of environmental impact assessments in civil aviation flight operations. The work seeks to answer the following the main research question: Does every aircraft's fuel consumption and related emissions truly decrease with increasing altitude, according to conventional methodologies and general assumptions?