Emission and energy efficiency analysis of selected airline companies with data envelopment method

The airline industry is critical in terms of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Sustainable improvements in energy efficiency are required to achieve emission reduction targets. Since the enactment of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 in the United States (US), airline efficiency has been a research area of intense interest among both academics and industry analysts. Over time, research on airline efficiency has expanded to cover wider geographical regions and new researchers from various disciplines have continued to contribute to the field. On the other hand, data envelopment analysis has become one of the most widely used methods by researchers. In addition, as studies increasingly include undesirable outputs such as carbon emissions, flight delays and environmental impacts, many studies cover topics such as the measurement and analysis of airline performance. This study presents an energy and sustainable efficiency analysis of 10 major US airlines using data through 2022. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is applied in the analysis using Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes (CCR) and Banker, Charnes and Cooper (BCC) models. In addition, Constant Return to Scale (CRS) and Variable Return to Scale (VRS) analyses were evaluated. The results reveal high levels of efficiency across the sector with DEA analysis of airline data for 2022 and opportunities for improvement through scaling. These adjustments, together with technological improvements, are critical to maintain the economic health of the sector and improve its environmental management. The findings are expected to provide important guidance for future research topics and directions.