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Sustainability and Air Freight Transportation: Lessons from the Global Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • John R. Bartle

    (College of Public Affairs and Community Service, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA)

  • Rebecca K. Lutte

    (Aviation Institute, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA)

  • Deniz Zeynep Leuenberger

    (Department of Political Science, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA 02325, USA)

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis has transformed the delivery of services and goods by public, private, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), with one of the largest impacts being in air transport systems. This paper focuses on related opportunities and challenges within air freight transport management, exploring sustainability in light of recent, heavy human and economic costs across the world. There is, in the resulting process of recovery, the potential to create changes in the airline industry and across a number of private and public partnerships that will improve long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability and stability. This paper also describes the impact of the current environment on air cargo operations to include the role of significantly reduced airline schedules on overall air cargo capacity. It considers the potential role of government in providing the infrastructure for collaboration between sectors, addressing the goals of sustainability, efficiency, effectiveness, and citizen responsiveness. NGOs provide a voice for community groups in ways that governments and corporations may not. Efficient markets link producers at various stages to consumers through global and local supply chains. Integrating key concepts from sustainable development and logistics, this paper explores short-run and long-run planning required by each of the three sectors to tackle the immediate shortfalls in global transportation by air. It then investigates urgent but longer-term environmental issues tied to air transport, such as global climate change, air pollution, and the nonrenewable nature of fossil fuels. Many of the infrastructural changes in the airline industry may offer solutions across public administration. With the tremendous impact of air transport on a number of other goods and services, carefully constructed solutions may have sustainability benefits across industries. As the tragedies of COVID-19 inevitably shake the foundations of organizational systems in all three sectors, this paper offers recommendations for advancing opportunities for a more efficient freight supply industry that minimize negative impacts through sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • John R. Bartle & Rebecca K. Lutte & Deniz Zeynep Leuenberger, 2021. "Sustainability and Air Freight Transportation: Lessons from the Global Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:7:p:3738-:d:525162
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bing Zhao & Hao Wu, 2022. "A System Dynamics Model of Multi-Airport Logistics System under the Impact of COVID-19: A Case of Jing-Jin-Ji Multi-Airport System in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-19, October.
    2. Ruixin Su & Bojan Obrenovic & Jianguo Du & Danijela Godinic & Akmal Khudaykulov, 2022. "COVID-19 Pandemic Implications for Corporate Sustainability and Society: A Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-23, January.
    3. Nishant Saravanan & Jessica Olivares-Aguila & Alejandro Vital-Soto, 2022. "Bibliometric and Text Analytics Approaches to Review COVID-19 Impacts on Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-33, November.
    4. Xue Zhang & Yi Lu & Jie Wang & Donghui Yuan & Xianwen Huang, 2023. "Quantifying Road Transport Resilience to Emergencies: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-22, October.
    5. Ahmed Karam & Abdelrahman E. E. Eltoukhy & Ibrahim Abdelfadeel Shaban & El-Awady Attia, 2022. "A Review of COVID-19-Related Literature on Freight Transport: Impacts, Mitigation Strategies, Recovery Measures, and Future Research Directions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-27, September.
    6. Lara Agostini & Anna Nosella, 2021. "Multilevel Antecedents of Organizational Speed: The Exemplary Case of a Small Italian R&D Organization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-22, July.
    7. Dariusz Tloczynski & Malgorzata Wach-Kloskowska & Sebastian Susmarski, 2021. "The Impact of COVID 19 on the Aviation Fuel Supply Chain in the Face of Changes in Air Traffic Service: Case Study of one of the Polish Airports," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4B), pages 623-633.
    8. Mariola Nycz, 2021. "The Air Freight Market During the Pandemic," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 554-563.
    9. Carmen-Mihaela Cretu & Anca-Gabriela Turtureanu & Carmen-Gabriela Sirbu & Florentina Chitu & Emanuel Ştefan Marinescu & Laurentiu-Gabriel Talaghir & Daniela Monica Robu, 2021. "Tourists’ Perceptions Regarding Traveling for Recreational or Leisure Purposes in Times of Health Crisis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-24, July.

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