The Future of Sustainable Aviation: Navigating the Sociotechnical Matters of Concern

Abstract

This study examines the sociotechnical transition to sustainable aviation by identifying four dominant Matters of Concern (MCs): Innovating, Operationalizing, Prognosticating, and Synchronizing. Using a dictionary-based text analysis across a curated corpus of 781 documents, the research uncovers how these MCs and their associated Points of Contention (PCs) co-occur and interrelate, forming a system of interdependent concerns that shape stakeholder debates. Two system-level predictors—Meta-Trajectories and Engagement—emerge as critical to navigating the sector’s shift from incremental to disruptive innovation. The former reflects the sector’s potential to pivot toward transformative technologies like hydrogen and electrification, while the latter captures the importance of public trust, funding alignment, and social legitimacy. A transition-centric Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis framework is proposed to evaluate trade-offs across technological, operational, regulatory, and sociocultural dimensions. The study also identifies Public-Private Enterprises as key organizing mechanisms to support innovation scaling, infrastructure readiness, and stakeholder coordination. Together, these insights offer a comprehensive model for guiding future research, policy development, and strategic planning in sustainable aviation.

Keywords: Sustainable Aviation, Sociotechnical Systems, Public-Private Enterprises (PPEs), Matters of Concern (MCs), Air Transportation System Innovation, Climate Policy and Governance, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)