Designing an Integrated Policy Framework for Sustainable Airport Infrastructure and Operations

Airports are complex infrastructure systems with important environmental, operational, and social impacts that require integrated sustainability governance. Although numerous international regulations, environmental management standards, certification schemes, and policy initiatives have been developed to support airport sustainability, existing research has largely examined these mechanisms independently, resulting in fragmented approaches to sustainability planning and implementation. This study develops an Integrated Airport Sustainability Policy Framework through a qualitative conceptual methodology based on a systematic literature review, guided by PRISMA-ScR principles, and comparative policy analysis. Peer-reviewed literature was systematically analyzed alongside international regulatory and policy documents, including guidance and standards published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA), the European Commission, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the United Nations (UN). The thematic synthesis identified four connected dimensions that consistently underpin sustainable airport governance: environmental management and emissions reduction, operational and energy efficiency, community and social sustainability, and governance, collaboration, and compliance. These dimensions were integrated into a scalable conceptual framework that consolidates existing sustainability mechanisms into an integrated governance structure adaptable to airports with various operational characteristics and regulatory contexts. The proposed framework addressed the fragmentation of existing policy approaches and proposes a structured basis for integrating environmental, operational, social, and governance aspects into airport decision-making. As a conceptual model developed through secondary evidence synthesis, the framework is intended to support future research and policy development and requires empirical validation through application across airports of different sizes and geographical contexts.