Environmental Impact of the Aviation Industry

“The world economy benefits greatly from the ability to move people and products all over the globe – quickly and safely.” – Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Within the sector, commercial aviation has evolved into the fastest, safest, and most far-reaching transportation mode in little more than a century.

Today alone, approximately 4.3 billion people use airlines worldwide. The aviation industry’s importance is growing as world trade and passenger demand expands. Over 65.5 million people are employed by the global air transport sector, more than double the number from only eight years ago. Aircraft account for a fraction of these—0.5% of world trade volumes—yet bring 35% of the value of all global trade.

It has been shown that emission of pollutants from aircraft sources can be an important contributor to air quality in the vicinity of large airports, especially those which are located in areas where background concentrations are already higher.

Factors of Environmental Impact of the Aviation Industry

A range of non-exhaust emissions sources such as local airport heating and energy generation, as well as surface access transport (including airport perimeter road vehicles), can contribute to levels of PM, NOX and Ozone in the airport vicinity.

1. Nitrogen oxides (NOX)

Nitric Oxide is a primary pollutant of combustion processes. It is not a reliable oxidant in the atmosphere but it is readily converted to Nitrogen Dioxide NO2. This molecule, which has an extremely short lifetime, is also a pollutant of energetic processes and has been associated with adverse effects on human health such as lung inflammation.

2. Ozone

Natural ozone in the stratosphere shields us from the sun’s powerful rays, but ground-level ozone can cause respiratory problems.

3. PM (Particulate matter)

Aircraft emissions, as with other sources of combustion, produce both primary and secondary PM emissions. Primary emissions consist of particles that have been directly emitted by the aircraft upon combustion, or by wear and abrasion through the population. Secondary particles are formed in-flight and consist of aerosols produced through complex chemical reactions of the exhaust gases.

Noise

Bimonthly Inter-disciplinary International Journal states, “noise is defined as an “unwanted sound.” Aircraft noise is one, if not the most detrimental environmental effect of aviation. It can cause community annoyance, disrupt sleep, adversely affect the academic performance of children, and could increase the risk for cardiovascular disease of people living in the vicinity of airports.”

Water pollution

Due to the extensive use and handling of jet fuel, lubricants and other chemicals; airports generate significant water pollution. Spill containment structures and clean-up equipment such as vacuum trucks, portable berms and absorbents can mitigate or prevent chemical spills.

Air pollution

“The rise in airline flight will increase the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere. Some countries are developing strategies to reduce CO2 emissions from aviation, and Malaysia’s target is to reduce CO2 emissions by 45% by the year 2030. Consequently, this study investigated whether Malaysian air travellers are willing to pay for an increase in their travel cost to reduce the carbon emissions from their flight to minimize the environmental impact.” – Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Environment Management

Final Thought

Technology development and human factors are necessary to enable aviation to mitigate its environmental impact and reduce the chance of increased carbon emission. The continued advancement of aircraft systems have greatly improved the efficiency and reduced the environmental impact of aviation operations, but there is still much to be done.