The way to smart civil aviation: An integrated decision making approach for smart civil aviation assessment in China

To address the critical need to objectively assess the progress and effectiveness of China's pioneering smart civil aviation initiative, this paper integrates 2-dimensional linguistic intuitionistic fuzzy sets (2DLIFSs) with the VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method. This integration develops a novel evaluation approach for assessing smart civil aviation performance across a cluster of airports, ultimately accelerating its implementation. The evaluation attribute system comprehensively covers smart travel, smart airport, technological innovation, and comprehensive effect. Furthermore, a novel hybrid distance metric is introduced to quantify the difference and closeness of 2DLIFSs with the ideal solution. The case study demonstrates the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed method for assessing smart civil aviation. Additional validation is provided through sensitivity analysis and comparative studies. This work offers a novel approach to evaluating smart civil aviation, enabling informed decisions and enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the civil aviation sector.