Potential Impacts of Supersonic Aircraft Emissions on Ozone and Resulting Forcing on Climate: An Update on Historical Analysis

Abstract

The overall demands by the public for air travel, the aspiration for more intercontinental travel, and the desire for shorter flight times have all increased in the past few decades. As a result, various companies and organizations around the world have been reconsidering development of supersonic aircraft for the business jet and commercial airline markets (e.g., NASA, Aerion, Spike Aerospace, and Boom Technology). Commercial fleets of supersonic transport (SST) aircraft were first considered in the 1970s (Climate Impact Assessment Program, 1975) and then again in the 1990s (Kawa et al., 1999). The cruise altitudes flown by supersonic aircraft depends on the design and speed of the aircraft with faster aircraft flying at higher altitudes. Supersonic aircraft would fly at higher altitudes than the current fleet of subsonic aircraft, with their emissions primarily being in the stratosphere.