Green and pleasant lands

摘要

Air transport is undergoing strong growth and, despite recent acts of international terrorism, forecasts indicate that demand will continue to increase for the foreseeable future. The social and economic benefits that accrue from the continuing growth of aviation are very significant, particularly since many airports have been shown to be the largest generators of economic activity in the regions they serve. The environmental implications of meeting that demand, in terms of climate change, the disturbance caused by aircraft noise and local air quality will, however, also be significant. This is because the projected rate of growth in air transport seems likely to outstrip the benefits offered by technological and operational improvements. This trend is unsustainable in the longer term because this growing environmental impact will eventually act as a constraint to growth.