## 1 Introduction  
The increased use of electronics in aerospace structures and other applications underscores the need to develop effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding strategies for protecting sensitive electronic systems from external electromagnetic signals. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as a promising material due to their remarkable properties, such as high tensile strength (100 GPa) and stiffness (1 TPa), excellent thermal conductivity (~3500 W/m/K) and electrical conductivity (~105 S/m) and have many potential applications in aerospace such as de-icing and lightning strike protection [1, 2]. For EMI shielding applications at the structural scale, harnessing the full potential of CNTs poses a substantial challenge [3]. Researchers have explored the utilization of CNT-doped resins as a matrix in composite material systems to attain desired electrical properties [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. [PERSON] et al. [5] utilized a coagulation technique to fabricate a nanocomposite consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), achieving an electrical conductivity of 10\({}^{-3}\) S/m with a 2% SWCNT weight fraction. [PERSON] et al. [6] extensively investigated the electrical conductivity of double-walled carbon nanotubes within an epoxy-based RTM6 matrix, analyzing its frequency and temperature dependence. Although the doping approach enhances overall properties, it is limited in harnessing the full potential of CNTs due to challenges in incorporating high CNT weight fractions. Primarily, CNTs tend to agglomerate due to van der Waals forces, resulting in property variations at larger scales [10; 11; 12; 13; 14]. Additionally, high CNT weight fractions elevate resin viscosity, impeding resin flow during fabrication. Porous membranes composed of interconnected CNTs, known as buckypaper (BP), offer a viable solution by enabling the incorporation of high weight fractions of CNTs and ensuring their uniform dispersion throughout the composite structure [15]. These films facilitate strong interlaminar bonds, making them compatible for integration into laminate structures, hence this approach overcomes the issues associated with CNT-doped resin in composite applications [16]. Due to its high electrical conductivity, homogenous dispersion through the resin microstructure, and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) stiffness and strength enhancement [17], BP is selected as a promising candidate to investigate its EMI shielding performance within various CFRP laminate configurations. The most common EMI shielding strategy involves utilizing conductive barriers to block unwanted external electromagnetic signals that might disrupt the internal circuitry. CFRP composites, which are increasingly being used in aerospace applications, are capable of EMI shielding due to the presence of electrically conductive fibers [18]. However, unidirectional CFRP composites exhibit significant anisotropy in electrical conductivity, attributed to the distinct mechanisms manifesting in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Along the fiber direction, the electrical conductivity of the lamina closely aligns with that of the fibers, whereas in the transverse direction, obtaining consistent conductivity values is challenging. In contrast to longitudinal conductivity, transverse conductivity exhibits significant variability and unpredictability, which is primarily attributed to the stochastic arrangement of fibers and the variability in fiber volume fraction. The existing literature demonstrates a notable lack of consensus, as diverse studies offer dissimilar predictions for transverse conductivity values ranging from 10\({}^{-5}\) to 30 S/m [8; 9; 19; 20; 21; 22]. [PERSON] et al. [19] used a tunneling model based on thermal activation energy and reported a transverse conductivity of \(\sim\)0.04 S/m. [PERSON] et al.