TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION
OECD International Conference, Vancouver Canada

Home||300Words||Program||Sponsors||People||Papers||E-Forum||Concl's||Register||Elec-Env

Session 1E - Air Transportation

Abstract of address by John Crayston

Civil Aviation And the Environment

The environmental problems associated with civil aviation fall into three categories: aircraft noise, the impact of aircraft engine emissions, and other local problems at airports. The third category includes such problems as water and soil pollution, problems arising from construction and expansion of airports and associated infrastructure, and management of wastes at airports. Since the significance and implications of these problems are likely to differ from one airport to another, this paper focuses on noise and emissions.

Noise levels have been declining at many airports in recent years as the proportion of total movements performed by new, quieter aircraft has increased. However, aircraft noise has continued to be a major problem, particularly at busy airports in developed countries. Following the unanimous adoption in 1990 of an ICAO resolution on a world wide policy towards operating restrictions, many countries have therefore recently introduced operating restrictions on noisier aircraft. Policy makers are now focusing on what will happen once operations by the noisier aircraft have been eliminated. This includes considering whether aircraft engine manufacturers can make much more progress in making engines quieter, and whether other measures can reduce noise, such as increased use of noise abatement flight procedures and better land use planning near airports.

Many consider that aircraft engine emissions are fast overtaking noise as the most important environmental problem associated with civil aviation. Here it is necessary to distinguish between two types of emission problems: namely the impact on local air quality near airports and the global impact that engine emissions may be having on long range air pollution, climate change and depletion of stratospheric ozone. Policy making in this area is made difficult because of the scientific uncertainties involved, and because actions taken to address one problem could adversely affect another.

The paper will describe what has been done so far to address both noise and emissions problems and what is expected over the new few years.

Home||300Words||Program||Sponsors||People||Papers||E-Forum||Concl's||Register||Elec-Env