Articles | Volume 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-1-5-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-1-5-2026
Research article
 | 
27 Oct 2026
Research article |  | 27 Oct 2026

D-KULT: data and tools for routine eco-efficient flight operations

Sigrun Matthes, Klaus Gierens, Christine Frömming, Björn Beckmann, Luca Bugliaro, Katrin Dahlmann, Simone Dietmüller, Maleen Hanst, Sina Hofer, Julian Jene, Simon Kirschler, Carmen G. Köhler, Alexander Lau, Ralph Leemüller, Aline Liedtke, Maximilian Mendiguchia Meuser, Patrick Peter, Vanessa Santos Gabriel, Ines Köhler, Gerd Saueressig, Linda Schlemmer, Jonas Sperling, Swen Schlobach, Ralph Schultz, Kristina von Sack, Nathalie Waltenberg, and Zarah Zengerling

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Cited articles

Akhtar Martínez, C., Eastham, S. D., and Jarrett, J. P.: Zero-dimensional contrail models could underpredict lifetime optical depth, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 12875–12891, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12875-2025, 2025. 
AKKL (Arbeitskreis Klimaneutrale Luftfahrt): Zentrale Handlungsfelder auf dem Weg zu einem Umwelt- und Klimaschonenden Luftverkehrssystem der Zukunft, Technical report, Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr sowie für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, https://www.bdli.de/sites/default/files/2024-06/mantelpapier-ergebnisse-akkl.pdf (last access: 4 December 2024), 2024. 
Arrowsmith, S., Lee, D. S., Owen, B., Faber, J., van Wijngaarden, L., Boucher, O., Celikel, A., Deransy, R., Fuglestvedt, J., Laukia, J., Tronstad Lund, M., Sausen, R., Schaefer, M., Skowron, A., Stromatas, S., and Watt, A.: Updated analysis of the non-CO2 climate impacts of aviation and potential policy measures pursuant to the EU Emissions Trading System Directive Article 30, EASA-Report, 115 pp., https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/downloads/120860/en (last access: 12 January 2026), 2020. 
Borella, A., Boucher, O., Shine, K. P., Stettler, M., Tanaka, K., Teoh, R., and Bellouin, N.: The importance of an informed choice of CO2-equivalence metrics for contrail avoidance, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9401–9417, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9401-2024, 2024. 
Chevallier, R., Shapiro, M., Engberg, Z., Soler, M., and Delahaye, D.: Linear contrails detection, tracking and matching with aircraft using geostationary satellite and air traffic data, Aerospace, 10, 578, https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10070578, 2023. 
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Short summary
Operational strategies such as eco-efficient flight routing have potential to reduce aviation’s climate effect. A collaborative workflow integrating weather forecast, climate response modelling, flight planning, air traffic control, and climate assessment was developed and tested in D-KULT. Innovative developments demonstrate substantial progress on how to identify alternative trajectories, highlighting remaining challenges with uncertainties in weather forecast and non-CO2 climate effects.
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