Sustainability in air cargo operations: A Finnish perspective in the EU framework
Kivimäki, Ida-Maria (2025)
2025
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025051411684
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025051411684
Tiivistelmä
This thesis explores sustainability in the air cargo sector of the aviation industry within the Finnish and boarder European context. The objective of the study is to investigate how the aviation industry’s sustainability goals affect air cargo stakeholders, identify the key challenges, and consider potential opportunities for air cargo sustainability. The focus is placed on the four main aviation sustainability initiatives presented by IATA. The scope of the thesis is limited to the air cargo sector in Finland and the EU in order to keep the topic concise and focused.
The research questions were examined through a mixed-methods approach by combining interviews with industry representatives and analysis of reports and academic resources. Data was collected through analysis of academic and industry sources as well as semi-structured interviews with representatives from airlines and a freight forwarder. The theoretical framework consists of Systems Theory, Stakeholder Theory, and Corporate Social Responsibility to analyse the interaction between the aviation industry’s decision-making levels across environmental, social and economic dimensions. This framework is further demonstrated by an air cargo sustainability pyramid model to emphasise the importance of cooperation in the air cargo sector. The research of the thesis was conducted during the beginning of the year 2025.
The findings of the thesis emphasised the complexity of implementing sustainability in the air cargo sector and further stress the need for integrated stakeholder collaboration to reach the aviation industry’s sustainability target. Regulatory initiatives such as ReFuelEU Aviation and CORSIA have formed a firm foundation for sustainability, but real effective implementation remains complex due to high costs, regulatory inconsistencies, and slow innovation. The study emphasised that despite regulatory mandates, voluntary collaboration with stakeholders remains essential to increase the adoption and development of sustainability initiatives in the aviation industry. The conclusion of the thesis states that achieving sustainable air cargo operations demands collaborative efforts, enforced by strong regulation, innovation and commitment to a long-term sustainable future.
The research questions were examined through a mixed-methods approach by combining interviews with industry representatives and analysis of reports and academic resources. Data was collected through analysis of academic and industry sources as well as semi-structured interviews with representatives from airlines and a freight forwarder. The theoretical framework consists of Systems Theory, Stakeholder Theory, and Corporate Social Responsibility to analyse the interaction between the aviation industry’s decision-making levels across environmental, social and economic dimensions. This framework is further demonstrated by an air cargo sustainability pyramid model to emphasise the importance of cooperation in the air cargo sector. The research of the thesis was conducted during the beginning of the year 2025.
The findings of the thesis emphasised the complexity of implementing sustainability in the air cargo sector and further stress the need for integrated stakeholder collaboration to reach the aviation industry’s sustainability target. Regulatory initiatives such as ReFuelEU Aviation and CORSIA have formed a firm foundation for sustainability, but real effective implementation remains complex due to high costs, regulatory inconsistencies, and slow innovation. The study emphasised that despite regulatory mandates, voluntary collaboration with stakeholders remains essential to increase the adoption and development of sustainability initiatives in the aviation industry. The conclusion of the thesis states that achieving sustainable air cargo operations demands collaborative efforts, enforced by strong regulation, innovation and commitment to a long-term sustainable future.