Forthcoming

Assessing The Effect Of Airport Operations On Air Quality And Noise In Nearby Communities

HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

Basic Information

Identifier
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-20
Programme
MOBILITY
Programme Period
2021 - 2027
Status
Forthcoming (31094501)
Opening Date
December 15, 2026
Deadline
April 14, 2027
Deadline Model
single-stage
Budget
€14,000,000
Min Grant Amount
€7,000,000
Max Grant Amount
€7,000,000
Expected Number of Grants
2
Keywords
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-20HORIZON-CL5-2027-03

Description

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

  • Assessment of the impact of airport operations on air quality and water bodies (including biodiversity) through air quality measurements and monitoring at different spots in and around the airports as well as through in vitro testing and/or remote sensing for water quality in airports close to water bodies
  • Contributing to the delivery of better emission factors for emissions inventories and projections (including EMEP), especially for species and fuel mixtures for which little knowledge exists today in order to support local, regional, national and international emissions reduction plans (e.g. Noise Plans, Air Quality Roadmaps, Air Quality Plans, national Air Pollution Control Programmes, as mentioned in EU acquis) by providing real-world emission information and measuring the actual impact of control measures and strategies.
  • Recommendations for improved measurement certification and testing to better cover real world situations.
  • Develop a methodology to assess the health impact (both the nature, seriousness and number of people at risk) of the measured pollutants and noise in airports or at the nearby urban environment and apply it to the test sites.

Scope:

Aviation emissions not only have an impact on climate change and on GHG emissions but also on-air quality as it is recognized that airport-related sources of emissions release pollutants that can contribute to the degradation of air quality of their nearby communities. As such, air quality and noise issues in the vicinity of airports need to be investigated, quantified and addressed. Airports operations can generate water pollution due to their extensive handling of jet fuel and de-icing chemicals, which, if not contained, can contaminate nearby water bodies. Similarly, attention must be given to other possible airport-related environmental impacts associated with noise, water quality, and local ecology in the vicinity of airports.

In order to address these issues, the following R&I actions should be undertaken:

  • Comprehensive real time and real-world measurements of pollutant (exhaust and non-exhaust, including resuspension of dust) and noise emissions. The sources of emissions should be differentiated, and the pollutants identified. Operations should include ground operations, landing and take-off (including emissions from tyres and brakes) and assessing exhaust emission during cruising, including impact of changes in flight altitude on engine performance parameters (stationary engine tests). The calibration of the measurement systems and the reproducibility of the results should be demonstrated.
  • Pilot testing in 2 different airports (possibility as well for testing on other complex transport nodes) for proof of concept with the aim of increasing scalability and replicability for other similar environments. Proposals are expected to select specific airports that are in vicinity of urban/rural communities and close to water streams/bodies, to examine and quantify the effect of airport emissions on air quality, noise and water bodies.
  • Investigation of the adverse health and environmental effects (including biodiversity) of particle emissions, NOx, and non-regulated emissions (e.g. black carbon, tyre and brake particles, secondary organic aerosols, etc.) generated from aircraft and airport operations. The analysis should be supported by gender disaggregated data collection and intersectional analysis.
  • Estimates of the impact of APUs (Auxiliary Power Unit) or GPUs (Ground Power Units) to stationary aircrafts’ emissions (GHG, air pollutants and noise) compared to conventional operation.

Proposals should consider the results from previously EU funded projects such as AVIATOR, nPETS, TUBE, ANIMA , NEEDED or any other similar projects.

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Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5-6 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL.

Destination & Scope

This Destination addresses activities that improve the climate and environmental footprint, as well as competitiveness, of different transport modes.

The areas of rail and air traffic management will be addressed through dedicated Institutional European Partnerships and are therefore not included in this document.

This Destination contributes directly to the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic OrientationsGreen transition’, ‘Digital transition’ and ‘A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe’.

In line with the Strategic Plan, the overall expected impact of this Destination is to contribute to the ‘Achieving sustainable and competitive transport modes’.

The main impacts to be generated by topics under this Destination are:

Zero-emission road transport

  1. Accelerated uptake of a zero-tailpipe emission ecosystem, with interoperable technological solutions developed at system level (vehicles, infrastructure, user and energy grid) that support the global competitiveness of the EU transport and mobility system.
  2. Zero-tailpipe emission mobility solutions developed that are affordable, efficient, user-friendly, inclusive, safe and circular with concepts and technologies that are easy to deploy, considering needs, behaviours and socio-economic conditions of all end-users.
  3. Clean mobility solutions for a climate neutral and environmentally friendly and zero pollution mobility with a higher level of circularity;
  4. Increased responsiveness of zero tailpipe emission vehicles and systems to diverse societal interests and concerns.

Aviation

  1. Enable breakthrough technologies and innovations that will contribute to the design (addressing also eco-design and circularity principles), manufacturing, maintenance and operations of new generation aircrafts, also powered by renewable energy and sustainable aviation fuels, for a competitive and clean EU aviation ecosystem (including airports).
  2. Derisk and accelerate the introduction of new digital technologies (with emphasis on AI) at all levels in the industrial aviation ecosystem, while addressing all safety-related issues in collaboration with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Waterborne transport

  1. Higher autonomy range in electric and hybrid vessels.
  2. Uptake of renewable and low carbon fuels and improved knowledge on the suitability of innovative renewable and low carbon fuels and other energy carriers for waterborne transport.
  3. Support the objectives of the European Port Strategy and Waterborne Industrial Strategy, contributing the role of ports as energy hubs, improving efficiency and safety through digitalization, improving the resilience and security of the transport network, as well as increasing the competitiveness of the industrial and technology EU capabilities.
  4. Significant reduction of emissions from large vessels due to the merging of energy efficiency and renewable and low carbon fuels.
  5. Sustainability of waterborne transport by design, considering air and water pollution, circularity and life-cycle assessments in shipbuilding.
  6. Improved safety of seafarers, port workers and the environment.

Transport-related environment and health

  1. The better monitoring of the environmental performance and enforcement of emissions regulation and biodiversity protection in order to reduce the overall environmental impact of transport (e.g.: as regards biodiversity, noise, pollution and waste) on human health and ecosystems.

Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.

Eligibility & Conditions

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions

If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion

described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds

are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes

are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement

described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants

The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].

described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions

Not applicable.

Frequently Asked Questions About Assessing The Effect Of Airport Operations On Air Quality And Noise In Nearby Communities

MOBILITY (2021 - 2027).
Per-award amount: €7,000,000. Total programme budget: €14,000,000. Expected awards: 2.
Deadline: April 14, 2027. Deadline model: single-stage.
Eligible organisation types (inferred): SMEs, Research organisations.
Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination.
You can contact the organisers at [email protected].

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