Sustainability Takes Flight: A Hybrid Approach to Optimizing Air Cargo Routes

Abstract

As global trade continues to develop, the importance of transporting purchased products from origin to destination has increased. Air transportation is the fastest option, with the least risk of damage or loss. Airline companies strive to develop routes to new destinations as part of their strategic plans. This study aims to present a hybrid solution approach for sustainable air cargo route selection (SACRS) from Turkey using the multi-criteria decision-making method. The primary aim of this study is to identify the most sustainable route among the selected options and to rank these routes based on sustainability. In the study, the criteria were weighted using the Bayesian Best Worst Method (BBWM), and the ranking of the routes was determined using the Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to COmpromise Solution (MARCOS) method. After analyses, the BBWM-MARCOS integrated model was compared with BWM and VIKOR-TOPSIS methods. Finally, the ranking results were examined by adjusting the criteria weights within the sensitivity analysis. The results indicated that the most sustainable route among the six options was Shanghai, while the least sustainable was Doha.

Keywords: Air Cargo, Route Selection, Sustainable Route Selection, BBWM, MARCOS.