Making modern air transport more climate-compatible, user-friendly and efficient – this is the goal of the German Aerospace Center's (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) new Institute of Air Transport. Researchers are investigating how the air transport system is developing in an increasingly complex world, the impacts of transport policy and operational measures and the consequences of technological innovations. The DLR Institute of Air Transport was officially opened in Hamburg on 8 November 2024.
"Rising costs and increasing international competition pose a major challenge for Germany as a hub for aviation. The process of transformation towards climate-compatible aviation is also resulting in serious changes and upheavals for airlines and airports," explains Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chair of the DLR Executive Board. "With the new DLR Institute of Air Transport, we are addressing the pressing ecological, economic, operational and regulatory issues of air transport. This makes us a key point of contact for public stakeholders and policymakers, the aviation industry and society, providing constructive and innovative support for upcoming changes."
"The opening of the DLR Institute of Air Transport is a further milestone for Hamburg as a leading aviation hub," said Melanie Leonhard, Minister of Economics and Innovation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. "The institute pools expertise and provides important impetus for sustainable and competitive aviation. The close cooperation between business, research and policy in Hamburg thus enables valuable innovations. Hamburg is thereby making its contribution to technologies that will further advance aviation internationally".
Monitoring the aviation landscape
DLR's new Institute of Air Transport was created from a merger of the Institute of Air Transportation Systems and the Institute of Air Transport and Airport Research. In addition to its headquarters in Hamburg-Harburg, the Institute will retain its office in Cologne. Approximately 65 employees work at the institute, with four departments focusing on flight operation concepts, air transport management, air transport development and air transport economics. The institute is also responsible for producing DLR's own air traffic forecast. Based on this, DLR regularly publishes the Low Cost Monitor, the Global Aviation Monitor and the DLR Tourism Report, which provide a comprehensive overview of current air transport trends and developments.
Creating a digital airline twin
Innovative flight procedures for efficient and sustainable air transport are also a focus of the institute's research, as is the evaluation of environmental policy and regulatory measures. Another important research area includes the economic aspects of airlines and airports, as well as other players in the air transport system. The first 'digital airline twin' will be created in Hamburg under the direction of the DLR Institute of Air Transport. This will be used to model, analyse and visualise practical challenges for the operation of an airline on an unprecedented scale. In the area of airports, the institute has recently made a significant contribution to the development of a roadmap for the use of hydrogen at Hamburg Airport.
Diverse consulting services
The Institute of Air Transport contributes its wide-ranging expertise in economics, engineering, mathematics, computer science, physics, meteorology and geography to committees at national, European and global levels. The institute was and is also significantly involved in developing methods for assessing aviation technologies in terms of their carbon dioxide (CO2) and non-CO2 emissions.
The DLR Institute of Air Transport benefits from numerous interfaces with other DLR institutes in the fields of aviation, transport and energy. The two locations in Hamburg and Cologne also offer synergies with other important players in the aviation sector due to their proximity to airports, the aviation industry, policymakers and administration as well as research institutions.