Ab-Initio Flight Training Carbon Emission in China: A Bottom-Up Inventory and Decarbonization Methods

While global airline operations are increasingly scrutinized for carbon emissions, China issues more than 33,000 Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPL) and 3600 Private Pilot Licenses (PPL) a year from 2013–2024, but the carbon cost of the country’s ab-initio flight training pipeline has never been quantified. Based on the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) license-issuance data for 2013–2024, syllabus and regulations minimums of 60 h (PPL) and 155 h (CPL), and a fleet-weighted emission factor of 108 kg CO₂ h−1 derived from standard trainer Pilot Operation Handbooks (POHs), this study calculated tank-to-wake emissions from ab-initio flight training for single-engine aircraft. The results show an average of 590 kilo-tons (kt) CO₂ per year, with CPL training accounting for 96% of the total. Scenario tests indicate practical abatement: shifting to low-burn trainers (10.1 gph) cuts 22% relative to the baseline; doubling Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) credit (PPL/CPL each + 5 h) removes 3.4%; electric trainers deployment eliminates another 20%. Implemented together, these levers reduce annual emissions by about 40% while preserving training throughput. Results provide a transparent baseline for policy and school-level decarbonization for the CAAC’s emerging Green Aviation policies.