Circular Economy Pathways for Airport Climate Change Mitigation

Airport operators face growing climate-change pressures; the circular economy offers pathways to reduce impacts and recover resources. We examine how airport operators apply the circular economy in practice. We use an exploratory qualitative multicase design based on practitioner-generated documents (e.g., press releases and sustainability reports) retrieved via Nexis Uni (2007–2024; N = 216). Inductive coding in ATLAS.ti and semantic concept mapping with Leximancer enable cross-case comparison. The analysis highlights decarbonisation roadmaps (renewables, electrification), sustainable aviation fuels and aircraft innovation, governance and stakeholder engagement, and 5R resource loops across operations and supply chains. The findings systematise circular-economy practices in a complex infrastructure setting and clarify airport operators' roles within multilevel governance. The study offers actionable cues for managers and policymakers.