Implementation of integrated sustainable urban transport index (iSUTI) in air freight system: a case study in Malaysia / Nadzira Aina Mohamad

This dissertation delves into enhancing sustainability in the air freight sector, introducing and assessing a new measurement tool called the Integrated Sustainability Urban Transport Index (iSUTI). The study is structured around three main objectives: identifying critical sustainability factors for air freight services, developing the iSUTI framework, and testing its effectiveness with real-world data from Malaysian air freight companies. Initially, the research focuses on pinpointing key sustainability indicators specific to air freight operations. From an existing sustainability framework, nine relevant factors were chosen and adapted to suit the air freight context. These factors encompass a wide range of elements, such as greenhouse gas emissions, service reliability, cost, and overall accessibility. This comprehensive selection ensures a holistic evaluation of an air freight service's sustainability, covering environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The next phase introduces the iSUTI, an innovative tool crafted to aggregate these diverse indicators into a single, encompassing sustainability score. This approach offers a multi-dimensional perspective, shedding light on various aspects of sustainability within air freight services. Applying the iSUTI to a case study, Company XX showcased a notable improvement in their sustainability performance over three years. Their iSUTI scores exhibited a positive trend: 52.78 in 2019, 56.83 in 2020, and a significant leap to 74.58 in 2021. These escalating scores reflect Company XX's dedicated efforts towards sustainable practices, highlighting their advancements in fuel efficiency and environmental impact mitigation. The final part of the thesis involved comparing the iSUTI framework with other existing sustainability measurement methods. This comparison aimed to validate the iSUTI's effectiveness and reliability. The results affirmed that the iSUTI is a robust tool, capable of accurately reflecting sustainability trends in the air freight sector. It offers a clear, comprehensive picture of a company's sustainability performance, proving invaluable for businesses and consumers who prioritize environmental and social responsibility. In summary, this research successfully meets its objectives and provides a significant contribution towards fostering sustainable development in the air freight industry.