intro:
For nearly five decades, air transport has provided significant social and economic benefits to society. The industry's competitive situation, however, has been undergoing fundamental change. Its development in major markets has started to be constrained by problems caused by overloaded airport and air traffic control systems and by concern about air transport's environmental impact.
To meet growing demand, the air transport industry is continuously investing in new technology which has resulted in vast improvements in environmental performance.
The industry is constantly seeking to reduce its environmental impact and has made considerable progress over time. Air transport has consistently made optimal use of technology and has sponsored technological innovation that has entailed major material and financial investment.
The influence of the aviation industry on the environment is much smaller than some people claim: aircraft use less space to move more people and often produce less pollution per passenger than cars, trucks and other forms of surface transport. Aviation is by necessity an efficient industry. Efficiency is an essential first step on the road to sustainability and this is the key to minimising aviation's environmental impact.
However, with the expected growth in air traffic worldwide, air transport's environmental impacts will also increase. But future growth is likely to depend on further reductions in the environmental impact of airline operations. Quite apart from the major question of the ability of the airways and airports to absorb traffic growth, air transport will need to further improve its environmental performance.