PROLOGUE
Aviation is one of the leading industries of the world comprising of manufacturing and operation of a variety of aircrafts and aeroplanes employed for scores of purposes. Air traffic is the fastest in terms of timing and is ubiquitous since it is successfully operated in different terrains and weather conditions. Air planes are effectively utilized in peace and war alike.
Pakistan has 139 airfields. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulates aviation matters. The National Aviation Policy was announced in 2015.
UTILIZATION OF AIR TRANSPORT DURING PEACE TIME
A few important utilization aspects of air transport are enumerated below:
- Aviation transport is one of the fastest modes of transport and travel. It provides the fastest means of shifting personnel, cargo and essential goods from one place to the other thus saving tremendous amount of time and energy. It is a double-edged weapon depicting its usefulness in both peace and war.
- The modern era air ambulances are used for evacuation of seriously injured causalities. Such operation often leads to recovery of causalities.
- During flood operation essential foods, drink and other items of use are distributed among the marooned people.
- These are also employed for surveillance and security of large gatherings of sports events, public addresses and processions.
- Space aircrafts are utilized for research, satellite and photographic purposes.
- Nature of flights indicate the level of businesses and prosperity.
- Encourages local and global tourism
- Air cargo operations depict the ongoing size of imports and exports.
- About 1% of total global trade is carried out by air transport. It can convey fresh and perishable supplies in the shortest possible at the required destinations.
USE OF AIRCRAFTS DURING COMBAT OPERATIONS
Military aircrafts are comparatively of lesser weight and smaller in size vis-à-vis the civilian aeroplanes. These machines can prove to be a battle-winning factor. Some of their uses are given below:
- Spying and reconnaissance of combat areas
- Coordination and control of military operations
- Destruction of enemy’s forces, war munitions and installations
- Shifting of troops, supplies and equipment from one battlefield to the other.
- Softening the enemy’s defences with aerial bombing for both killing and demoralizing objectives
- Naval, marine and ground battles can be fought together like one cohesive force.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS AND MANAGEMENT OF AVIATION OPERATIONS
Aviation operations are essentially a double-edged weapon. On the positive side these are an effective tool for ushering in progress, prosperity and sustainable development at local, national, regional and global levels. Their negative impact is the constant threat to the physical and biological environment. Significant adverse issues caused by aviation operations are discussed under:
- Noise Pollution
Varying aspects of noise pollution are mentioned in the following:
- Undesirable Sound and Noise
- Aircrafts create significant environmental hazard in forms of air pollution, noise pollution and depleted ozone layer. The noise pollution is mostly dominant in a radius of 6 kilometers from airports. More impact is felt in a radius of 3 kilometers.
- The noise produced during takeoff is much more than that produced in the process of landing.
- Excluding turbo jets, smaller aircrafts generate lesser noise pollution.
- The noise produced by the aircrafts is intermittent and variable. The noise levels respecting different aircrafts are shown in Table 4.1.
- (Source: Consumers’ Association, 1974)
- So far as Pakistan is concerned the international airports of Karachi and Lahore are adversely affecting the local environment with unwanted noise. Karachi Airport has faced a tremendous increase in daily landing and take-off operations from last 25 in years 1950-51 to 125 in the years 1990-91. With the incursion of the airlines in the private sector the figure in the year 1995 was touching 200. Lahore Airport is operating about 100 international and 250 domestic flights in a week
Table 4.1 Aircraft Noise Levels
Management of Aircraft Noise
Various management methods of mitigation of aircraft noise are given below:
- Area surrounding an airport is required to be planned and only essential services are located. Residential colonies should not be allowed to crop up in the immediate vicinity. These are hazardous for the aircraft during landing and take-off.
- Quieter engines be designed. Also, high noise reducing aircrafts like Concorde should not be permitted to use the runway facility situated close to residential area.
- Area all around the airport must have suitable green belt. This would help in absorption of noise as well as keep the civil population away from the noisy airport. Plant nurseries be provided at various places in the airport.
- The noise produced at night is more pronounced as compared to the day. Therefore, the airport may be used minimum at night and the number of flights be reduced accordingly.
- The flight path be selected through open belts and built up areas be avoided.
- The procedure about take-off and landing requires to be improved so that the aircraft consumes minimum time to complete its ascent and descent. The aircraft manufacturing companies should pay heed to this issue while designing the aeroplanes. Similarly, the taxi distance can also be reduced.
- Encourage helicopter service which generates much lesser noise and air pollution.
- The pilots should apply throttle cut back while flying over urban centres and other sensitive installations.
- Most of the world airlines and aviation agencies have already formulated Continuous Descent Approach Procedures to curtain noise levels.
- Contribution towards Global Warming
The aircrafts travelling in the troposphere and tropopause generate huge quantities of carbon dioxide gas (CO2), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx, NO & NO2), Water Vapors and Particulate Matter (PM).
CO2 Gas
- It is the main greenhouse gas which contributes towards global warming. It is estimated that CO2 is generated @113 gram per passenger km in a single long-haul flight. Lighter aircrafts fly in the troposphere region. Jet aircrafts fly in tropopause and upper troposphere regions.
- Air traffic and CO2 Linkage
- According to ICAO air traffic had experienced doubling every 15 years. However, since the outbreak of COVID-19 air traffic operations have been significantly reduced especially in those countries which are more affected by this virus. The second wave of COVID-19 has also impacted the volume of air traffic.
- Between 1940 and 2004, aviation CO2 emissions grew from 0.7% to 2.5% of all CO2 emissions
- By 2015 the aviation industry generated about 2.5% of global CO2 emissions
- In 2018 air traffic emitted 918 million tons of CO2 (2.4% of total emission)
- Nitrogen Oxides (NOx, NO & NO2) Nitrogen Oxides and Ozone (O3) Formation and depletion are closely linked.
- Water Vapors
Water vapors are generated when fuel burns at high altitude. Contrails (Condensation trails) and Cirrus clouds are generated which add to global warming.
- Particulate Matter (PM)
Unburnt carbon particles cause warming. Sulphate particles have cooling effect.
- Generation of Heat
The exhaust from engines contains lot of heat which flows in the environment.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Journal of Air Transport Management
- The Environ Monitor
- Hppts://en.wikipedia Environmental impact of aviation
- Hussain, M., Environmental Degradation = Realities and Remedies, Ferozsons (Pvt) Ltd, Lahore (Pakistan), 1998
- Hussain, M., Book Islam and Environment, Unpublished
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO.org)
