Overview
Sustainable Aviation will offer you an introduction to concepts and tools necessary for understanding the challenges of sustainable development in the aviation industry. You will develop skills in comprehending and assessing the environmental, social and economic sustainability of societal decisions and their impact on the aviation industry. You will gain insights into efficiently assigning resources to release unused capacity, reduce costs, and increase systems' resilience to unexpected events for sustainable transport infrastructure development. As this unit's content and activities offer insights into sustainability across various aspects of the aviation industry, it aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 4: Quality Education, Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Students must meet all requisites: 1. AVAT11008 Introduction to Aviation Management, AVAT12018 Air Freight Transportation, AVAT12022 Airport Management AND 2. AVAT11013 Introduction to Aviation OR AVAT11002 Basic Aeronautical Knowledge.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
- Construct a well-founded set of metrics for assessing sustainability that considers safety, economic, environment, social, and operational viewpoints
- Identify sustainability best practices in airlines, airports, aircraft, and air traffic management
- Apply sustainability terms, information, policies, and concepts in aviation operations
- Critically analyse sustainability initiatives in the aviation industry
- Identifying challenges and suitable solutions for future aviation sustainability at the local, national, and international levels.
N/A
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 25% | |||||
| 2 - Case Study - 45% | |||||
| 3 - Presentation - 30% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.la@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 14 Jul 2025Module/Topic
Sustainability and Aviation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 21 Jul 2025Module/Topic
Environmental Sustainability in Aviation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 28 Jul 2025Module/Topic
Economic Sustainability in Aviation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 04 Aug 2025Module/Topic
Social Sustainability in Aviation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 11 Aug 2025Module/Topic
Safety in Aviation Sustainability
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 18 Aug 2025Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 25 Aug 2025Module/Topic
Mid-term Review and Quiz
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment1 due this week.
Quiz Due: Week 6 Monday (25 Aug 2025) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 7
Begin Date: 01 Sep 2025Module/Topic
Sustainability in Airports
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 08 Sep 2025Module/Topic
Sustainability in Airlines
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 15 Sep 2025Module/Topic
Sustainability in Aircraft & Sustainability in Air Traffic Management – Part 1
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 22 Sep 2025Module/Topic
Sustainability in Aircraft & Sustainability in Air Traffic Management – Part 2
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 due this week.
Individual Case Study Due: Week 10 Friday (26 Sept 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 11
Begin Date: 29 Sep 2025Module/Topic
Sustainable Aviation Strategies and Policies
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 06 Oct 2025Module/Topic
Sustainable Aviation Future
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 3 due this week.
Poster presentation Due: Week 12 Monday (6 Oct 2025) 1:00 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week
Begin Date: 13 Oct 2025Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 20 Oct 2025Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
This includes 20 multiple-choice questions, covering content from Week 1 to Week 5. Close book is required. One attempt only.
You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
This assessment is exempted from the 72-hour submission grace period and must be completed by the stated submission date/time.
Week 6 Monday (25 Aug 2025) 11:45 pm AEST
You will be required to answer material regarding the Weeks 1 - 5 lectures.
- Construct a well-founded set of metrics for assessing sustainability that considers safety, economic, environment, social, and operational viewpoints
- Identify sustainability best practices in airlines, airports, aircraft, and air traffic management
- Critically analyse sustainability initiatives in the aviation industry
2 Case Study
This assessment is an individual task requiring the completion of a case study. The assessment should present a clear analysis and comparison of the sustainable strategies and current sustainable frameworks of selected aviation companies. The following parts should be addressed in this assessment:
Step 1. You need to choose either three Full-Service Carriers (FSCs) or three airports and review their sustainability reports from the past five years, along with their official website pages related to sustainability. It is important to select only one type, either airlines or airports.
Step 2. A comprehensive analysis of each airline's/ airport’s sustainable strategies over the past five years should be conducted, considering environmental, social, and economic perspectives.
Step 3. Following Step 2, you need to analyze and compare the most up-to-date sustainable contributions and sustainability frameworks of the three airlines/ airports. Figures and tables can be used to support the comparison and analysis.
Step 4. Based on the analysis above, propose both short-term and long-term sustainable strategies for each airline/ airport.
The word limit for this assessment is 1,500 words (do not exceeding 2,000 words), including figures and tables but excluding the reference list. This case study should be written in essay format, including abstract, introduction, main sections, conclusion, limitation, and reference list.
You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 10 Friday (26 Sept 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
The assessment must be clearly written and well-structured, ensuring that all four steps are included. Do not use one sentence paragraphs or bullet points as you will lose points. Points will be deducted for not correctly following APA guidelines, for high Turnitin similarity scores that indicate improper paraphrasing (such as copied sentences or sentences with just one word changed), and for the inappropriate use of AI tools. Additionally, providing incorrect information and data, insufficient analysis and comparison, and choosing both airlines and airports instead of one category will also result in point reduction. Checking the rubric carefully before staring your assessment.
- Construct a well-founded set of metrics for assessing sustainability that considers safety, economic, environment, social, and operational viewpoints
- Identify sustainability best practices in airlines, airports, aircraft, and air traffic management
- Apply sustainability terms, information, policies, and concepts in aviation operations
- Critically analyse sustainability initiatives in the aviation industry
- Identifying challenges and suitable solutions for future aviation sustainability at the local, national, and international levels.
3 Presentation
This assessment is an individual presentation based on the case study results from Assessment 2. This poster presentation will be conducted either online or in person during the lecture in week 12. Presentation slides are not required, but you need to develop a one-page poster to support your presentation, which must be uploaded to the Moodle site before the Week 12 lecture. Citations and reference list are not required on the poster, and there is no specific template for its design. However, you need to include the major results from the Assessment 2 on the poster and present them. This individual presentation will be 10 minutes.
You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
This assessment is exempted from the 72-hour submission grace period and must be completed by the stated submission date/time.
Week 12 Monday (6 Oct 2025) 1:00 pm AEST
50% of points will be deducted if no poster is submitted. A low-quality poster will also lead to point reduction. Additionally, points will be lost for directly reading from Assessment 2, lacking interaction and eye contact with the audience, placing full sentences and paragraphs on the poster, and exceeding the presentation time. Checking the rubric carefully before staring your assessment.
- Identify sustainability best practices in airlines, airports, aircraft, and air traffic management
- Apply sustainability terms, information, policies, and concepts in aviation operations
- Identifying challenges and suitable solutions for future aviation sustainability at the local, national, and international levels.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
