The aviation system operation involves the complex interactions between many different components and understanding how to optimize its activities requires advanced modeling tools. The Federal Aviation Administration suite of tools has been developed to provide the ability to characterize and quantify the interdependences of aviation-related noise and emissions, impacts on health and welfare, and industry and consumer costs under different policy, technology, operational and market scenarios.

The ASCENT researchers are further developing and expanding the capabilities of these tools in a variety of ways ranging from improving the way basic physical properties are represented and modeled to how new technology will enter the fleet and what its benefits will be.