Assessing Social Impact for Sustainable Aircraft Design through an SLCA Framework

The social dimension of sustainability is increasingly recognized as essential to the aviation sector, yet systematic assessment of social impacts across aircraft systems and their associated design and production processes remains limited. This study applies Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) principles, guided by the UNEP/SETAC guidelines and the ISO 14075:2024 standard, to perform a country-based screening that identifies, quantifies, and analyzes hotspot impacts associated with materials production and manufacturing in the aviation sector. A tailored SLCA framework is developed to reflect the specific characteristics of the aviation sector and to identify relevant stakeholder groups, including workers, local communities, consumers, value chain actors, and society. Aviation-specific social indicators are defined in line with industry needs and regulatory expectations, enabling socially informed decision-making during early design stages. The methodology is demonstrated through a comparative assessment of two major commercial aircraft, examining social impacts across global supply chains, identifying social hotspots and country-specific risk drivers, and evaluating targeted improvement measures. In addition, alternative component production locations are assessed to explore supply-chain configurations with lower social risks. The results provide actionable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders and support holistic sustainability assessments by explicitly integrating the social dimension into sustainable aircraft design.