The GNOSIS consortium, funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) as part of the sixth national aviation research programme, set out to design and evaluate electro‑based propulsion configurations for a regional passenger aircraft. The project combined the expertise of the Fachgebiet Stoffstrommanagement und Ressourcenwirtschaft (FG SuR) and the Institut für Flugsysteme und Regelungstechnik (FSR) at the Technical University of Darmstadt with partners such as the Institute for Aerospace Systems (ILR) and Bauhaus Luftfahrt (BHL). Over the project period the partners developed simulation models, performed life‑cycle assessments (LCA), and analysed flight performance, operational aspects, and resource consumption of the proposed electric variants.

FG SuR focused on linking the newly created simulation tools with a sequential LCA methodology. This approach enabled the assessment of environmental impacts not only during flight operations but also throughout the production chain. The LCA results, presented in Figure 2 of the report, show that the electrified variants of the regional aircraft achieve a substantial reduction in CO₂‑equivalent emissions compared with the conventional kerosene‑powered reference. Figure 3 further illustrates the comparative emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, as well as the cost of electricity, kerosene, and hydrogen for the years 2020, 2025, and 2050. The analysis indicates that, under the 2050 scenarios, the electric variants deliver lower life‑cycle emissions and competitive operating costs, especially when powered by renewable electricity. In addition, FG SuR quantified the demand for critical raw materials in the new propulsion systems and projected the resource consumption after a market launch, providing data that can inform supply‑chain resilience strategies.

FSR’s contributions centred on flight‑performance and operational analyses. Using the electric propulsion models, the team generated optimized flight trajectories for missions of 257 NM and 511 NM, as detailed in Tables 14–16. These trajectories reduce energy consumption and noise levels relative to conventional flight paths. FSR also investigated ground operations, focusing on taxi‑out and taxi‑in phases, and performed trade‑off analyses of subsystems such as electrically driven landing gear versus conventional systems. The results demonstrate that electric propulsion can lower ground‑operation emissions and improve overall energy efficiency.

The project’s outcomes align with the EU Flightpath 2050 and Germany’s 2050 climate protection plan, providing a technical and environmental basis for future regulatory frameworks. The consortium published several papers and presented findings at international conferences, ensuring that the knowledge generated is accessible to the wider aviation and sustainability communities. By integrating advanced simulation, LCA, and operational studies, GNOSIS delivers a comprehensive assessment of electro‑propulsion for regional aircraft, offering clear evidence of reduced emissions, cost competitiveness, and resource‑efficient design pathways.