Environmental issues in the air transport industry

Résumé du document

The air transport industry uses air craft to transport people, cargo, and mail. Civil aviation includes two major categories; first one is the scheduled air transport, which includes passenger and cargo flights operating on regularly-scheduled routes; and general aviation, including all other civil flights, private and commercial.

The air transport industry supports a wide range of businesses. These include independent maintenance and repair shops, food restaurants, fuelling services travel and the tourism industry.

Before 11th of September 2001 the industry was profitable, since then it has incurred massive losses exceeding US $40 billion. The biggest annual loss was US $13 billion in 2001. Efficiency increases have seen a bottom line. Since 2007, it has been having positive profit. This is due to the fact that the international traffic has increased by 37% since 2001 (this is still 5% below the prediction made before 11th of September). But this growth leads to environmental consequences. Hopefully, we see that although airline capacity has growth by 19% in the past five years, consumption of jet fuel has risen by just 10%. And the air transport's contribution to climate change is small: 2% of global C02 emissions but supports nearly 8% of global GDP. But this number, even if apparently small should not be satisfied by it and still try to reduce it. IATA (International Air Transport Association) promised 25% reduction in fuel consumption in 2005, for 2020. We will see if they are going to meet this goal.

Extraits

[...] Civil aviation includes two major categories; first one is the scheduled air transport, which includes passenger and cargo flights operating on regularly-scheduled routes; and general aviation, including all other civil flights, private and commercial. The air transport industry supports a wide range of businesses. These include independent maintenance and repair shops, food restaurants, fuelling services travel and the tourism industry. Before 11th of September 2001 the industry was profitable, since then it has incurred massive losses exceeding US $40 billion. The biggest annual loss was US $13 billion in 2001. Efficiency increases have seen a bottom line. [...]

[...] (It was done by the British Airways) - By rising fuel efficiency or using alternative ones (use of solar power or bio fuel) - By building lighter and more aerodynamic planes - By improving engine capacity - By sharing the air space more freely or using radar GPS (such that the airplanes use more direct routes) - Airplane industry supports the environmental improvement, which British Airways did in China and Brazil for example, by making flight carbon neutral, by donating money to a forestry project that will counterbalance the greenhouse gases created IATA's (International Air Transport Association) proposal: In a short term point of view, we must cut up to 18% of aviation fuel (which comes from inefficient infrastructure and operations). This represents 100 million tons of CO2 per year. In a long term, zero carbon emission could be achieved by the new the technologies, in the next 50 years. The governments must focus on alternative fuels. IATA aims to have 10% of airline fuel needs from alternative fuel by 2017. [...]

[...] This is done with a tradable permit. Which gives an optimal repartition of the cost of gas emission reduction? Other sectors have to reduce their emission by when compared to the 1990 emissions. But aviation gets around twice the amount of permits compared to the EU climate targets! Part IV: Potential solutions for the air transport pollutions 4.1 Solutions for noise pollution Concerning the sources of the noises: - To change the standard of production of airplanes so that they make less noise (hushkit equipment for example) - Having more buses driving people to the airport - Rising parking ticket of the airport Concerning the effects of noise on health and communication: For the aviation industry, it is not responsible for the quality of life of the people, it is not its department, but the government's because noise is a sociological problem Solutions for air pollution: - CO2 (carbon dioxide) by 2020, the Advisory Council for Aerospace Research in Europe has the goals of European airlines to emit 50% less of C02 than in 2000. [...]

[...] But this growth leads to environmental consequences. Hopefully, we see that although airline capacity has growth by 19% in the past five years, consumption of jet fuel has risen by just 10%. And the air transport's contribution to climate change is small: of global C02 emissions but supports nearly of global GDP. But this number, even if apparently small should not be satisfied by it and still try to reduce it. IATA (International Air Transport Association) promised 25% reduction in fuel consumption in 2005, for 2020. [...]

[...] Part III: Potential external and internal environmental risks to the air transport industry Concerning the external environmental risks, there are for example aviation accidents. Which could be caused by pilot error missing the record mechanical failure weather and sabotage: bomb, hijackings, other human errors and other causes Accidents and Fatalities by Phase of Flight Source: Statistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents, Boeing Concerning the internal environmental risks, there are results of, for example, management decisions in the air transport industry. [...]