A Structured Decision-Support Framework for Technology Adoption to Advance Airport Sustainability and Resilience

Abstract

Airports face challenges in integrating sustainability and resilience into their long-term operational plans due to climate change, regulatory mandates, financial constraints, and disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic. While technology adoption plays a key role in addressing these issues, many airports lack structured strategies for evaluating, selecting, and implementing sustainability and resilience-focused innovations. Technology is often adopted reactively, driven by crises or regulatory compliance, rather than through proactive, strategic planning. This study introduces an empirically supported decision-support framework that combines established technology adoption models, sustainability and resilience assessment logic, and airport-specific implementation needs into a structured process for sustainable and resilient technology adoption. The framework synthesizes engineering-based maturity assessment, strategic planning, cross-disciplinary implementation, and Envision-based sustainability and resilience criteria, providing a tool that merges engineering judgment with organizational, regulatory, and environmental considerations. It equips airport decision-makers with a practical methodology for aligning technological innovation with operational performance, sustainability objectives, and long-term adaptability. The framework was empirically supported through expert input and statistical analyses of survey responses representing 27 commercial airports across the United States. An illustrative case study demonstrates an application of the framework by translating strategic sustainability and resilience goals into actionable implementation steps. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by presenting an evidence-based decision-support methodology that bridges the gap among strategic commitments and implementation, supports decarbonization, operational resilience, and infrastructure sustainability, while providing practical guidance for planners, sustainability leaders, and policymakers.