Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) Version 3g

AEDT 3g was released on August 28, 2024 and is the latest version of AEDT. This release is a free upgrade for existing licensed users of AEDT 2b up to 3f.

All FAA actions requiring noise, fuel burn or emissions modeling and for which the environmental analysis process has begun on or after August 28, 2024 are required to use AEDT 3g (build 222.0.21557.1).

Guidance on the version of AEDT to be used is outlined in a memo available with documentation accompanying the AEDT 3g installer.

AEDT Version 3g Highlights

Starting with the AEDT 3g release, Microsoft SQL Server 2017 is no longer supported. Microsoft SQL Server 2022 is the only supported version and is a prerequisite for using AEDT 3g.

AEDT 3g includes the following updates and improvements:

  • Revision of the Time Above methodology for flight operations.
  • Comprehensive review and update of emissions factors for Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and stationary sources.
  • Reversion of fuel flow rate adjustments for taxi emissions (SAE AIR-8035 implementation) that was made in AEDT 3f.
  • Addition of new dispersion modeling source groups, which includes Aircraft Engine Type and Operation Group.
  • Adjustment to ensure correct positioning of airborne sources relative to receptors along the z-axis for dispersion modeling
  • Fix for a potential negative release height issue in AERMOD.

Other highlights from this release include:

  • Ability to assign operational profiles when creating runup operations.
  • CSV import of runup operations.
  • Improved user interface for creating and editing dispersed tracks.
  • Airport, Fleet and Study database updates.
BADA License Requirement for AEDT 3g

If you are a new AEDT user, please refer to the AEDT purchasing steps in the Pricing page. 

Existing AEDT 3b / 3c / 3d / 3e / 3f users do not need to re-apply for the BADA license for AEDT 3 in advance of downloading AEDT 3g.

Existing AEDT 2b / 2c / 2d users must apply for the BADA license for AEDT 3 even if you were previously approved for AEDT 2. This is because BADA 3 and BADA 4 are two distinct and different models. You will not be allowed to download the AEDT 3 software until EUROCONTROL approves your license request. Please visit https://www.eurocontrol.int/model/bada; the access procedure for the EUROCONTROL's OneSky Online is explained at the bottom of the page. Once you are logged in the BADA User Interface website, you can request a license. Select “Tools where BADA is integrated” as the license type and select "AEDT 3" as the name of the tool.

System Requirements and Specifications

The recommended specifications are listed with suggested minimums where applicable. AEDT is a stand-alone Windows based application. However, through the use of Microsoft SQL Server connectivity, it is possible to connect multiple computational clients to one central database server. AEDT requires administrative privileges for installation.

Using the SQL Server requires additional configuration steps. Please refer to the Section 5.2.2 in the AEDT 3g Installation Manual.

  AEDT 3g System Requirements
Minimum Noise Only
(Recommended) 		Emissions Dispersion and Multi-Airport Studies (Recommended) 1
Operating System2 Microsoft Windows 10 (x64) Microsoft Windows 10 (x64) or
Windows Server 2016		 Microsoft Windows 10 (x64) or
Windows Server 2016
Processor Modern dual core processor with
2 GHz or higher clock 		Modern many core (>2) processors with
2 GHz or higher clock 		Modern many core (>2) processors with
2 GHz or higher clock
RAM 8 GB Memory 16 GB Memory 64 GB Memory or more
Hard Disk Space 100 GB Storage 500 GB Storage 500 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) for single airport emissions dispersion

4 TB or more SSD for large scale emissions analysis
Microsoft
SQL Server 		Express Edition,
Version 2022		 Standard / Enterprise Edition,
Version 2022		 Standard / Enterprise Edition,
Version 2022,
running on the SSD
Other Software Adobe Acrobat Reader Adobe Acrobat Reader Adobe Acrobat Reader

1 While it is possible to generate emissions dispersion metric results with less than the recommended configuration, the time required for those runs to complete will be significantly longer.

2 Use Microsoft Update to ensure your computer has the latest priority updates. Visit www.update.microsoft.com.

AEDT 3g Documentation

Documentation for AEDT 3g may be updated over time; please check back occasionally for updates.

For Further Information

If you have any questions regarding the features of AEDT, please contact us at aedt-support@dot.gov.