Bridging practice and research: VTM contributes to the Scientific Community

VTM provides expert consultancy across all transport modes, supporting clients worldwide with tailored and distinctive solutions. Our work spans across different sectors, from urban mobility, public transport, logistics, roads, traffic engineering and policy design, to the fast-evolving world of aviation and airport systems.

While our primary focus is on delivering practical and actionable insights to our Clients, we strongly believe that true excellence in consultancy must be rooted in continuous learning, innovation, and scientific rigor. That is why VTM is committed to investing in training and education of its team members and we are side by side with our colleagues celebrating their achievements. In this month, we are proudly celebrating the academic contribution of one member of our Aviation and Airports Team, who is co-authoring a scientific paper accepted for publication in the internationally recognized and peer reviewed journal Sustainability (MDPI).

This achievement reflects one key part of VTM’s identity: an unwavering commitment to bridge the gap between industry and academia. We keep one eye firmly on real-world challenges and the other on the latest research and technological developments. Hence, we focus on ensuring our Clients benefit not only from experience and independence, but also from forward-thinking and research-backed innovation.

We are briefly presenting the content of the paper below. Nonetheless, feel free to read the full article here.

Sustainable Airport Development: A Literature Review Based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Methodology, Using OpenAlex Database

Abstract: Airport sustainability has gained increasing attention as the aviation industry faces the challenge of balancing economic growth, environmental responsibility, and social standards. This study conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) using the OpenAlex database. The PRISMA 2020 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology was applied to refine the selection process, resulting in 66 relevant studies. Then, a bibliometric–systematic literature review (B-SLR) approach was employed to analyse trends and identify research gaps.

The findings indicate that most studies often focus on two sustainability pillars at a time, while neglecting a fully integrated perspective. Not many research works simultaneously address all three dimensions of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social), leading to fragmented insights into sustainable airport management. Notably, some industry-driven reports are starting to suggest emerging holistic approaches, but the majority of the academic literature remains segmented. Hence, this study highlights the need for a more comprehensive research framework that considers environmental, economic, and social factors concurrently.

Future research should integrate these dimensions to develop practical and well-balanced sustainability strategies; while methodological limitations may exist in this work, such as language constraints and dataset selection criteria, this review provides valuable insights into airport sustainability and lays the groundwork for further scientific studies.

Keywords: sustainability; airports; systematic literature review; PRISMA; OpenAlex