Current aviation trends unsustainable, U.K. experts find

Aircraft emissions will become one of the biggest sources of anthropogenic climate change by 2050 if growth in air travel continues as projected, finds a report by the U.K. Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP). Shorter flights—such as those within the United Kingdom and from the United Kingdom to other European destinations—cause far more environmental damage per passenger kilometer than longer flights and are considerably less sustainable than the same point-to-point travel by rail, according to the RCEP. Although new airframe and engine designs and alternative fuels will help mitigate these adverse environmental effects, the RCEP finds that the “projected increase in demand will easily outstrip any such technological developments for several decades.” The commission recommends curbing U.K. air travel demand through emissions charges of at least €54.80 per ticket and limits on airport expansion, while at the same time building up the country’s rail infrastructure. The Environmental Effects of Civil Aircraft in Flight can be accessed at www.rcep.org.uk/avreport.html.