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Environment effects - air pollution

A Review of NASA's Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft Project

This web site provides access to the text of a report prepared by the National Research Council's Panel on Atmospheric Effects of Aviation, National Academy Press, 1999. The report evaluates NASA's assessment of its Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft Project (AESA), and provides guidance and recommendations for future research. An executive summary is available in HTML format, and the full text can be accessed online in Open Book format.

Advanced Emission Model (AEM3) V1.5 : Validation Exercise #2

This report (number EEC/SEE/2004/012) was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre (EEC), whose mission is to carry out research and development in order to improve air traffic management (ATM) in Europe. It was written by Sandrine Carlier and James Smith in October 2004. AEM3 validation exercise#2 builds on the AEM3 validation exercise#1 completed in early 2004. It addresses three new aircraft types: Airbus A310-325, and Boeing B737-300 and B737-700. The data set used for this supplementary validation exercise consists of flight data recordings collected from a European airline. This validation exercise also corroborated the influence of Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW) on the accuracy of fuel burn estimation through AEM3. Results seem to indicate AEM3 to slightly underestimate fuel burn for flights with a high take-off weight.

Advanced Emission Model (AEM3) v1.5 : Validation Report

This report (number EEC/SEE/2004/004) was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre (EEC), whose mission is to carry out research and development in order to improve air traffic management (ATM) in Europe. It was written by Frank Jelinek, Sandrine Carlier and James Smith in June 2004. This report documents the validation of the Advanced Emission Model (AEMIII) Version v 1.5. The Advanced Emission Model has been developed at the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre and has been used in first studies to estimate aviation emissions and fuel burn. It uses the ICAO Engine Exhaust Emissions Data bank (05/2003), the Eurocontrol Base of Aircraft Data (BADAv3.5) and an improved version (EEC-BM2) of the Boeing Method2 (BM2) trying to produce most reliable emission estimations for all phases of flight.

Advanced Emissions Model v1.5 Validation:Exercise 3

This technical report EEC/SEE/2006/005 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in August 2006 and was written by Sandrine Carlier, James Smith and Frank Jelinek. This report is an appendix to the AEM3 validation report EEC/SEE/2004/004 dealing with statistics and validation measures concerning four supplementary aircraft types. Three supplementary aircraft types were already addressed in a first appendix (EEC/SEE/2004/012). [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

AERO2K Flight Movement Inventory - Final Report

This technical report 2003/005 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in April 2003 and was written by Sophie Michot, ...[et al]. This paper describes the construction of a global movements database as part of a European Commission project to deliver a global air traffic emissions inventory that should provide input to both policy makers and climate change scientists. The movements database consists of 4-D flight trajectories (latitude, longitude, altitude and time) enabling project partners to calculate fuel consumption and emissions. The collection of data for the year 2002 was spread over six representative periods of one week each for North America and Europe. Considering six weeks of data across the year allowed taking into account diurnal, weekly and seasonal variation in air traffic. The primary sources of data were EUROCONTROL CFMU and FAA ETMS data. For the rest of the world data were extracted from Back Aviation, a commercial database. Schedule data from Back Aviation database does not include any flight trajectory information. It was thus necessary to complete this data with flight route and aircraft performance information when available. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

AERO2k Global Aviation Emissions Inventories for 2002-2025

This provides access to a Manchester Metropolitan University Centre for Air Transport and Environment in collaboration with QinetiQ report dated December 2004. The report describes the production of a global gridded avaition inventory for 2002 and a forecast of emissions for the year 2025. The inventory covers both civil and military aviation and was developed under the ECFP5 AERO2k project. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format and is provided by QinetiQ.

Aicraft Engine Exhaust Emissions Databank

The DataBank contains information on exhaust emissions of only those aircraft engines that have entered production. The information was provided by engine manufacturers, who are solely responsible for its accuracy. It was collected in the course of the work carried out by the ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) but has not been independently verified unless indicated. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is hosting this DataBank on behalf of ICAO and is not responsible for the contents. The site provides access to a background information document, Aircraft Engine Emissions Individual Datasheets, a downloadable version of the DataBank (MS Excel Worksheet, 600 Kb) and a record of DataBank changes.

Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Home Page

The Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) exists to lobby for improvements to aviation infrastructure in an environmentally responsible manner. The site provides access to several full text reports including 'Aviation and the environment' 'The economic benefits of air transport', air traffic forecasts for Europe, the United States and Asia and the Pacific in HTML format. The site also gives information about the activities of the Group.

Air Transport Action Group : Aviation and the Environment

This publication is produced by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), an independent body of organisations from the air transport industry. ATAG pushes for environmentally responsible capacity improvements. The issues of aircraft noise, fuel consumption and energy efficiency, emissions, infrastructure, capacity and congestion are discussed.

Air Transport and the Environment

This report examines and clarifies the impact of air transport on the environment and highlight efforts to minimize environmental damage. The contents of the document cover the following: aircraft noise; fuel consumption and energy efficiency; aircraft emissions and global warming; infrastructure and landuse; capacity and congestion; and, airports and the environment. The report was carried out by The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), through the Environmental Task Force and the Infrastructure Action Group. The full text of the document is available in PDF format.

Air Travel Greener by Design : The Technology Challenge

Published in August 2001, the report prepared by the Air Travel Greener by Design Steering Group, Technology Sub-Group, describes the environmental challenge faced by the UK's aviation industry. The report makes a number of recommendations for reducing the impact of aviation on the environment. Air Travel: Greener By Design is a collaborative initiative involving the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), The Royal Aeronautical Society, The British Air Transport Association (BATA), and the Airport Operators Association (AOA). The text of the report is available in PDF format and can be downloaded from the Foresight Programme web site, where it is one of a number of reports contained in 1999 - 2002 round of Foresight Publications produced by the Defence, Aerospace, and Systems Panel.

Aircraft Clean Air Act of 2001

This site allows access the public to research and track the activities in the U.S. Congress. This page gives the full text of the bill (S 1019 IS), introduced into the US Senate and House of Representatives, by Senator Diane Feinstein, June 12 2001. The bill provides for the monitoring of aircraft air quality and requires air carriers to disclose relevant mechanical and maintenance records with respect to an aircraft involved in an aircraft air quality incident including the use of, and any loss or leakage of, hydraulic fluids, lubrication oils, or fuel.

This bill never became law. This bill was proposed in a previous session of Congress. Sessions of Congress last two years, and at the end of each session all proposed bills and resolutions that haven't passed are cleared from the books. Members often reintroduce bills that did not come up for debate under a new number in the next session.

The bill is provided in HTML format but there is also a link to download a PDF version.

Aircraft Retrofit Action to Comply to the 8.33 kHz Vertical Expansion Programme (above FL195)

This technical report number 2005/001 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in March 2005 and was written by Frank Jelinek, Sandrine Carlier, Jean-Claude Hustache and James Smith. The study addresses environmental and economic aspects of the 8.33kHz Vertical Expansion programme. It covers the following dimensions: An analysis of the meteorological situation evaluates the consequences of flying at lower altitudes on the exposure to bad weather conditions. An overall conflicts count gives an indication of potential impacts on traffic complexity and subsequent controller workload. An environmental analysis estimates the possible consequences on the main aviation emissions (CO2, H2O, SOx, NOx, CO, HC, VOC and TOG). Finally, a business case assessment estimates the profitability for aircraft operators to invest in 8.33kHz equipment. [Taken from abstract]. This is in PDF format so will require Adobe Acrobat software in order to read it.

Airfields Environment Trust (AET)

Founded in 1978, the AET is a UK charitable trust which aims to advance knowledge and understanding of aviation's environmental and amenity impacts, through research and education. The site has some backgound information on the Trust and its funding sources, and describes its education and research activities. The site also provides access to the Trust's Aviation and Environment Databank. This contains information which has been compiled, contributed and reviewed be experts in the field. The information is arranged under a number of heading including, UK Policy, Planning, Demand for Air Travel, Economics and External Costs, Sustainable Development, Airport Waste Issues, and General Reports and Publications.

Airline Emissions of Carbon Dioxide : The Opportunity for Voluntary Agreement

This provides access to the text of a proposal to government on the opportunity for voluntary agreements as a way forward on the control of global warming gases. It reviews some of the options for limiting emissions from aircraft engine exhausts. Its main purpose is, however, to investigate the possibility of a Government-airline partnership and to this end, the issues are reviewed along with a summary of the possible approaches that have been identified to date. The text of the document is available in PDF format from the web site of the British Air Transport Association (BATA).

Airport Capacity : Facing the Crunch in Europe

This is a compilation of the proceedings of a conference held in Edinburgh on 28-29 April 2005. This is part of series called ECAC/EU Dialogue with the European air transport industry. It was published by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), in 2005. The individual presentation are grouped under three session headings: Provision of airport capacity - are industry and governments doing enough; Securing future capacity, airport expansion and environmental issues; and Economic challenges. The presentations vary in format and include in some cases the text of papers, just powerpoint slides and slides and notes. The compilation is presented in PDF format (3.7 Mo)

Airport Local Air Quality, Sensitivity Analysis Zurich Airport 2004

This technical report 2006/003 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in August 2006 and was written by Emanuel Fleuti, Peter Hofmann and Caterina Talerico. The sensitivity analysis for Zurich airport 2004 as part of the ALAQS project considers the impact of changed emission loads and various dispersion calculation parameters on the resulting NOx emission mass and NO2 pollution concentration in the vicinity of Zurich airport. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Airport Local Quality Studies Concept Document - Issue 2.1

This technical report 2005/003 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in October 2005 and was written by Ayce Celikel ...[et al]. The concept document describes the methods and philosophy of the EUROCONTROL Airport Local Air Quality Studies (ALAQS) project and the ALAQS-AV toolset (April 2005 version). [Taken from abstract]. the full text of the document is avaialable in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

AirportWatch

This is a pressure group which is opposed to the airport and runway expansion plans outlined in the UK Government's White Paper, The Future of Air Transport, published on 16 December 2003. The site describes the group's aim, contains news stories, press releases, and a series of briefing sheets. There are links to related resources including the Department For Transport's consultation documents and background technical reports, as well as Flying Into Trouble, a report by some of the UK's leading environmental organisations.

Atmospheric Propagation Effects Through Natural and Man-Made Obscurants for Visible to MM-Wave Radiation

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-CP-542, dated November 1993. This publication reports the papers presented to a specialists’ meeting held by the Electromagnetic Wave Propagation Panel at its Spring 1993 meeting. The topics covered on the occasion of that Symposium include: Natural obscurants: -The effects of natural obscurants (haze, clouds, fog, rain, snow and dust) on system performance. Man-made obscurants and battlefield-induced phenomena: -The effects of man-made smokes, battlefield-induced smokes and enhanced scintillation on system performance. Target and background signatures: -Atmospheric effects on target and background signatures, and target to background contrast. Multispectral camouflage: -Weather-related propagation effects on camouflage and obscurants effectiveness and contrast reduction. -Theoretical and/or experimental evaluation of camouflage effectiveness. System mitigation aspects: -Methods to mitigate the above-mentioned factors e.g. image processing, sensor fusion, tactical weather intelligence, and tactical decision aids. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (313KB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Attitudes Towards and Values of Aircraft Annoyance and Noise Nuisance - 5A Survey Report and Questionnaire

This technical report 2002/002 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in December 2004 and was written by Sylvie Chesneau and Ian Fuller. This report details an exploratory study applying attitudinal and stated preference techniques to the issue of aircraft noise and annoyance valuation around airports in three European countries. Three different types of stated preference experiment were designed to enable methodological issues to be tested and a range of values to be estimated:SP1: embeds aircraft noise nuisance within a broader quality of life context.SP2: offers changes in aircraft movements by aircraft type within specific time periods.SP3: offers changes in generic aircraft movements by time of day. Our conclusion is that the preferred way forward is to use the quality of life form of SP to establish the absolute valuations and then to use SP approaches which focus on aircraft annoyance to obtain valuations according to factors such as time of day and aircraft type. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the document is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Aviation and Climate Change : Giving Wings to Emission Trading Inclusion of Aviation Under the European Emission Trading System (ETS): design and impacts

This gives access to a EUROPA European Commission for the Environment Report (No.ENV.C.2/ETU/2004/0074r) dated July 2005. Air transport performs many important functions in modern societies. Aviation facilitates economic growth and cultural exchanges and in many regions the industry provides direct employment. However, aviation also contributes to global climate change, and its contribution is increasing. While the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions fell by 5.5% from 1990 to 2003, carbon dioxide emissions alone from the international aviation of the 25 Member States of the European Union increased by 73% in the same period. Even though there have been significant improvements to aircraft technology and operational efficiency this has not been enough to neutralise the effect of increased traffic. Without due policy intervention, the growth in emissions is expected to continue in the coming decades. The full climate impact of aviation goes beyond the effects of CO2 emissions, nthough. Apart from emitting CO2, aircraft contribute to climate change through the emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are particularly effective in forming the greenhouse gas ozone when emitted at cruise altitudes. Aircraft also trigger formation of condensation trails, or contrails, and are suspected of enhancing formation of cirrus clouds, both of which add to the overall global warming effect. In 1999 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), examining the total climate impact of aviation, estimated these effects to be about 2 to 4 times greater than those of CO2 alone, even without considering the potential impact of cirrus cloud enhancement. This means the environmental effectiveness of any mitigation policy will depend on the extent to which these non-CO2 effects are also taken into account. A variety of economic instruments such as fuel taxation, emission charges and emissions trading have been proposed to mitigate the climate impacts of aviation. At the European level there have already been studies on an aviation fuel tax and en-route emission charges. In order to complete the existing knowledge base, the European Commission has now taken the initiative of investigating the detailed modalities and impacts of inclusion of aviation in the EU's emissions trading scheme. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Aviation and Environment Research Database (AERD)

This is a compilation of current research activities in aircraft design that will result in improved environmental performance. It was created by the society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), on behalf of the Greener by Design, Science and Technology sub-group. The AERD catalogues research from the UK, Europe and USA and can be used as a tool by researchers, industry, government and the public to find out about research being carried out in the area of aviation?s impact on the environment and the atmosphere. The data is presented in an MS Excel file (660 Kb) along with a separate MS Word document (41 Kb) which provides information on how to use the database.

Aviation and the Environment : Airport Operations and Future Growth Present Environmental Challenges

This provides access to a United States General Accounting Office (GAO) report, GAO/RCED-00-153, dated 2000. It presents the results of a GAO review of the key concerns and challenges associated with airports' current operations and future growth, including aircraft noise, water quality, and air pollutant emissions. It also examines the actions being taken by airports to balance operations and growth with these environmental concerns, as well as the actions being taken by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other federal agencies to address these concerns. The report is available in PDF format.

Aviation and the Environment : Using Economic Instruments

The site provides access to the text of a UK Department for Transport (DfT) report which was prepared for use in discussions with stakeholders on the most effective economic instruments for ensuring that the aviation industry is encouraged to take account of, and where appropriate, reduce its contribution to global warming, local air and noise pollution. It provides estimates of aviation's external costs and outlines the Government's approach to using economic instruments. It also presents a range of questions concerning the effectiveness and desirability of economic instruments in this area. In addition to the report, the site also contains a summary of key points made by stakeholders at discussion workshops, and a list of the invited stakeholders. The text of the documents can be accessed in HTML, PDF and Word formats.

Aviation and the Environment: Aviation's Effects on the Global Atmosphere Are Potentially Significant and Expected to Grow

This provides access to a United States General Accounting Office (GAO) report, GAO/RCED-00-57, dated February 2000. It presents the results of a GAO review of what is currently known about aviation's contribution to global warming and how aviation emissions, both domestic and global, compare with emissions from other sources. It also examines the options for reducing aviation emissions. The report is available in PDF format.

Aviation and the Global Atmosphere : IPCC Special Report

The site provides access to the full text of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report, prepared by Working Groups I and III in collaboration with the Scientific Assessment Panel to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer; edited by J.E. Penner, D.H. Lister, D.J. Griggs, D.J. Dokken, and M. McFarland, Cambridge University Press, UK, 1999. The report describes the state of understanding of the relevant science of the atmosphere, aviation technology. The socio-economic issues associated with mitigation options are assessed and reported for both subsonic and supersonic fleets. The potential effects that aviation has had in the past and may have in the future on both stratospheric ozone depletion and global climate change are also covered. The text is available in HTML format.

Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) Booklet : Fly Now Grieve Later

This is an AEF booklet by Brendon Sewill, June 2005. It deals with climate change and the use of "economic instruments", which are financial measures such as charges, taxes and subsidies which can affect the environmental impact of aviation. The booklet looks at technical, economic, social and political angles and considers the impediments to action. The site provides access to a document summary (Word document) and a link to the full text of the publication (PDF format 1.2 Mb). There is also an update for events that have happened since the booklet went to press.

Aviation Environment Federation (AEF)

The AEF is a UK based non-profit making association concerned with the environmental effects of aviation, ranging from aircraft noise issues associated with small airstrips or helipads, to the contribution of airline emissions to climate change. The site includes an about section which describes the AEF's objectives, work programme, educational resources, and funding arrangements. As well as general news the site also contains news items on climate change, noise and publicity and politics. The main Aviation and the Environment campaigns part of the site is themed under the following headings: climate change, noise, planning, consultative committees, demand Issues / environmental economics, air quality issues around airports, safety issues around airports and, biodiversity. From each of these sections there are links to supporting resouces and related dicuments. Details are provided of conferences either hosted by the AEF, or conferences where the AEF have given presentations. The site also contains a publications section, a number of electronic discussion forums and links to other resources, although this links section is restricted to AEF members.

Aviation in a Low Carbon EU

This research report was published in 2007 by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research of the University of Manchester for Friends of the Earth. It was prepared by Kevin Anderson, Alice Bows and Anthony Footitt and updates and refines a previous report published in 2005. It also considers the potential impact of including aviation within the EU’s emission trading scheme (EU ETS), and the carbon prices required to bring about significant reductions in aviation emission growth.

Boeing Company : Airport Noise Regulation Information

The site provides brings together a range of information resources which are intended to facilitate the monitoring of airport noise restrictions and government noise regulations. It includes information on some 600 airports worldwide, with details of APU operating restrictions, curfews, engine run-up restrictions, noise abatement procedures, noise budget restrictions, noise level limits, operating quotas, preferential runways, noise monitoring systems, and noise and emission surcharges, It also provides access to news updates, EU hush-kit regulations, a timeline and charts of aircraft noise certification and phaseout rules/schedules.

Boeing Company : Cabin Air Quality

This area of the Boeing web site presents the company's perspective on the issues surrounding aircraft cabin air quality. The site presents an overview of how cabin air systems operate, and highlights a number of "myths" and "facts". Access is provided to two full text papers (PDF) entitled, "Commercial airliner environmental control system : engineering aspects of cabin air quality" and "The airplane cabin environment : issues pertaining to flight attendant comfort". There is also a series of tips given for air passenger comfort.

British Air Transport Association (BATA)

BATA is the UK airlines trade association. Its role is to represent the interests of its member UK airlines to government, airports, and other industry regulators and suppliers. BATA's interests and activities cover: airports strategy and regulation, ATC capacity and performance standards, air transport, consumer issues, the environment, and aviation safety and security. The site provides contact information, links to member's web sites, and an aviation news feed. The site also provides information on BATA produced reports and other documents.

C-MAP : Clean Air Mapping and Analysis Program

Provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this project is a geographic information system (GIS) aimed at assessing the success of US pollution emission reduction programmes. The site provides two major resources - a gallery of maps which illustrate the spatial relationships between emissions and the environment, and a download facility. This allows you to download GIS datasets to be uploaded into GIS software, or a spreadsheet. Categories covered include air, water, land, deposition and emissions. The data covers the North American continent. This website has now been archived.

CAP 764: CAA Policy and Guidelines on Wind Turbines

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) document CAP:764 Version 3 10 May 2010. The aim of this CAP is to provide assistance to aviation stakeholders when addressing wind energy related issues, thereby ensuring greater consistency across the whole aviation industry in the consideration of the potential impact of proposed wind turbine development. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the document is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

CEATS Global Aviation Emission Study

This technical report 2004/007 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in August 2005 and was written by Frank Jelinek. The CEATS project tests the hypothesis that the operational implementation of the CEATS ATCC leads to environmental benefits, in terms of reduced aviation emissions and reduced fuel burn. Different sectorisation and organisations are tested and compared. Real-Time simulation data are provided by CEATS. The Advanced Emission Model (AEMIII) developed at the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre has been used to estimate the aviation emissions and fuel burn. [Taken from abstract]. For More Information about this study contact Frank Jelinek: E-mail: frank.jelinek@eurocontrol.int

Characterising the Ionosphere

This is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Technical Report RTO-TR-IST-051, dated Jan 2009. This report is a compilation of papers from academic and other research institutes that describe ionospheric phenomena and parameters that affect electromagnetic propagation. The report addresses both mid-latitude and high-latitude effects. The first chapter describes the morphology of the ionosphere, briefly covers the neutral atmosphere and expands on the influence of the geomagnetic field, ionospheric electric field and currents, and particle precipitation at high latitudes. Chapter 2 looks at the instrumentation for obtaining the relevant data. An analysis of the mapping of total electron content in geographic co-ordinates is presented in Chapter 3 with an aim of providing timely information to the users. Chapter 4 addresses spontaneous emissions observed during ground-based and rocket-borne experiments. The final chapter considers the specific effects of space weather on the ionosphere during severe geomagnetic and ionospheric storms, the impact on technology including communication and navigation systems, and emphasises the need for a global perspective of the system. Extensive references are provided for each subject. For completeness, the proceedings of a Specialists’ Meeting held in conjunction with the study are added as an appendix. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in HTML format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Civil Aviation and the Environment

This site is provided by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and is concerned with aircraft noise and aircraft engine emissions. A brief overview of each topic is available and the work of ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) is discussed, including its membership, terms of reference and work programme. The complete text of any news releases is available, as are ICAO statements and the full text of Assembly Resolution A32-8 as a PDF file.

Civil Aviation Authority : Environmental Research and Consultancy Department

The Environmental Research and Consultancy Department (ERCD) carries out a range of activities in the field of aviation and the environment, including noise monitoring, noise contour modelling and research into the health effects of noise. The site provides access to further information about its noise monitoring activities, noise contour maps, the effects of aircraft noise on people, and gives details about publications available for purchase. The site provides the full text of ERCD reports. In addition, the full text of the ERCD's newsletter 'ERCD news' is available in PDF format and there is also an archive of news items since 2000. In addition there is a noise-related FAQ and links to related web sites.

Civil Aviation Authority : List of Aviation Legislation Publications

This page from the Civil Aviation Authority brings together a number of key regulatory documents. These include the:

CAP 493 Supplementary Instructions

Official Record Series 5 - Scheme of Charges

Official Record Series 7 - Air Navigation Air Traffic Services Licensing and Airspace Policy

There is also a list of individual publications available for download. All publications are in PDF format.

Civil Aviation Authority

This is the home page of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Its main responsibilities are in the areas of air safety, economic regulation and consumer protection. The site provides an overview of the CAA's activities, statistics and a selection of full text documents in PDF format. There are links to the home pages of the main groups within the CAA which provide detailed information about their own roles. There is also information about the impact of air transport on the environment, including noise and air pollution.

Climate Change and the Stern Review : the implications for Treasury Policy

Published 5th February 2008, HC 231, from the House of Commons Treasury Committee, this is the full text of the fourth report of session 2007-08, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence. The report welcomes the Government's proposal that Air Passenger Duty (APD) be replaced by 'Per Plane Duty', but regrets that the Government has taken so long to do so. APD does not currently differentiate between full and half-empty planes, between flights to Morocco and flights to Australia, or between clean planes and relatively dirty planes. It urges the Government to ensure that cargo flights and private planes are included in the new regime and that tax differentials be introduced to encourage investment in cleaner technologies.

Commission for Integrated Transport : Transport and Climate Change

This site provides access to the report and a number of supporting documents in PDF format. This report (published 2007 by the UK Commission for Integrated Transport) seeks to identify areas of transport in which carbon emissions can most cost-effectively be targeted. It evaluates and proposes practical measures for targeting those areas of transport mode and behaviour and recommends a package of solutions. It proposes five key packages of measures for the period up to 2020, one of which concerns reducing the emissions potential of the aviation sector.

Consideration of Air Quality Impacts by Airplane Operations at or Above 3000 feet AGL : Final Report

This provides access to the text of a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) document FAA-AEE-00-01, by Roger L. Wayson and Gregg G. Fleming, Final Report, September 2000. The purpose of the report is to provide a background with regard to Categorical Exclusions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to explain why aircraft operations at or above 3000 ft (above ground level) should be considered a Categorical Exclusion for modeling of local air quality impacts. The text is available in PDF format.

Consultation on the Draft Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007

This consultation document was published by the UK Department for Transport in February 2007. The consultation on the draft Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order and the future design of the obligation, includes a consultation document, with 25 questions to the public, a Regulatory Impact Assessment and the draft Order. Responses to the draft are requested by Thursday 17th May 2007 and a summary of those responses, including the next steps will be published by 31 July 2007. [Taken from summary]. The full text is available in html format.

Consultation on the European Commission’s Proposal to Include Aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme

This is a UK Department for Transport consultation document dated March 2007. This consultation seeks views on the European Commission’s proposal to include aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and on the Government’s initial analysis on the changes required to the proposal. Responses will inform the UK Government’s position on negotiating this proposal.A partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is published alongside this document (Annex A) on which we would welcome detailed comments and further information particularly from businesses affected by the proposal. A full RIA will be published once negotiations have concluded, before implementation of the Directive. Closing date for comments is 1st June 2007. [Taken from abstract] The full text of the consultation document, assessment and annexe is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobe software will be required in order to read it.

Control of Noise from Civil Aircraft

This web site provides access to a Department For Transport consultation paper. This follows the publication of the integrated transport policy White Paper 'A New Deal For Transport: Better For Everyone' which was published on 20 July 1998. It includes proposals to take powers to help airports to enforce mitigation measures. The full text of the paper was published online in HTML format on 15 August 2000, and the text can also be dowloaded in PDF format (287 Kb) and Word (200 Kb). The DFT site also provides access to a report which summarises the response to the consultation.

Council for the Protection of Rural England : Airport Expansion

CPRE is a registered charity and pressure group that exists to promote the english countryside by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources. These web pages present the CPRE's views on the UK Government's plans for air transport, especially the building of new airports and the expansion of existing ones. It provides links to press releases and a number of other documents including the CPRE aviation policy and Flying to Distraction, a leaflet summarising the findings of Aviation, Noise and the Countryside.

Decarbonising the UK : Energy for a Climate Conscious Future

This is Tyndall Technical Report 33, prepared by S. Shakley and K. Anderson, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, published September 2005. This is the first study to combine carbon dioxide emissions from the UK�s energy infrastructure, buildings and industry with those from air, sea and land transport. It is unique in incorporating the different perspectives of energy analysts, engineers, economists and social and environmental scientists into a wide understanding of how the UK Government can achieve its 60% carbon dioxide reduction. The report's headline claim is that all UK householders, motorists and businesses will have to reduce their carbon dioxide pollution to zero if the growing aviation industry is to be incorporated into Government climate change targets for 2050, and that even if aviation�s current growth is halved from today�s level, the rest of the economy will require carbon dioxide cuts far beyond Government targets. Section one of the report presents five quite different scenarios with their final energy consumption ranging from 90 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) to 330 Mtoe (today�s value being 170 Mtoe). A range of supply-side changes, including all the major contending technological and management options, are provided alongside the changes in the demand for energy. Section Two then provides a brief resume of all the major projects conducted in the Decarbonising the UK theme. Because of their large number, project descriptions have had to be brief, but aim to cover the main objectives of the projects, the principal findings and the key recommendations. The detailed project reports are readily available on the Tyndall website or by contacting the principal investigator. Finally, in Section Three, Simon Shackley, co-manager of the research, reflects upon the overall findings in Sections One and Two in the context of other research and emerging ideas in the social science literature. The text of the report is available in PDF format from the Tyndall Centre's web site.

Delivering Safety in the Context of Environmental Restrictions : Aviation Expert and Research Review

This is UK Civil Aviation Authority CAA Paper 2004/08, prepared by Peter Brooker of Cranfield University, on behalf of the Safety Regulation Group of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, issued July 2004. This paper poses the question: "Are there any instances where the desire to promote environmental benefits raises real problems about the safety assurance being provided operationally?" It reviews information gathered from aviation experts (pilots, safety researchers, airline operations managers, regulators etc.) together with that obtained from a literature review. The text of the document is available online in PDF format (233 kb) from the CAA's web site

Department of Transport and Regional Services : Aviation and Airports Policy

The primary role of the Aviation and Airports Policy Division is to advise the Australian Government on the policy and regulatory framework for the aviation and airports industries. The Division manages the continuing relationship between the Government and the Civil Aviation Authority (CASA), Airservices Australia (Airservices) and Australia's airlines. It also manages Australia's participation in the work of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and provides the secretariat for the International Air Services Commission (IASC). The site provides information on legislation, regulations and guidelines. A number of discussion papers are avilable in full text. These include: Restricting Operations by Marginally Compliant Chapter 3 Aircraft a proposed airport by airport approach; Expanding Ways to Describe and Assess Aircraft Noise; Going Beyond Noise Contours, Local Approaches to Land Use Planning around Smaller Australian Airports, and Guidance Material for Selecting and Providing Aircraft Noise Information. The site also provides access to a selection of relevant legislation, regulations and guidelines including: Air Navigation Act 1920; Air Navigation Regulations 1947; Air Navigation (Checked Baggage) Regulations 2000, and Smoking on Aircraft.

Economic Incentives to Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Air Transport in Europe

This report, publication number 02.4733.10, was prepared for the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, by R.C.N. Wit and J.M.W. Dings of CE [independent research and consultancy agency], Delft, July 2002. The study examines the feasibility of economic incentives to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from air transport in Europe, with a view to encouraging airlines to integrate such emission reduction into their business objectives. The incentives considered are designed to add the external costs of greenhouse gas emissions to the en route charges already collected by Eurocontrol. Please note that the report is only for information purposes, and does not reflect the views or policies of the Commission. The text of the report is available in PDF format (2.074 Kb).

EMEP/CORINAIR Atmospheric Emission Inventory Guidebook

This 3rd edition, September 2003 update has been prepared by the expert panels of the UNECE/EMEP Task Force on Emission Inventories, and published by the European Environment Agency. The Guidebook is designed to provide a comprehensive guide to the state-of-the-art of atmospheric emissions inventory methodology for each of the emission-generating activities listed in the current versions of the Selected Nomenclature for Air Pollution (SNAP97). The activities covered include in Content list Group 8 Other mobile sources and machinery - Air traffic; Domestic airport traffic, International airport traffic, Domestic cruise traffic, and International cruise traffic. The bibliographic description details are in HTML format, and the Contents chapters are in PDF format.

Emission Standards and Test Procedures for Aircraft and Aircraft Engines : Summary and Analysis of Comments

This is United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) document EPA420-R-05-004, published November 2005. On September 30, 2003, the EPA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for proposed amendments to existing emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) for newly certified commercial aircraft gas turbine engines with rated thrust greater than 26.7 kilonewtons (kN). This document contains a detailed summary of all comments received on the NPRM as well as the EPA's analysis of each comment and response. The text is available in PDF format (55 pages, 477K) from the EPA's Nonroad Engines, Equipment, and Vehicles web site.

Emissions, Combustion Dynamics, and Control of A Multiple Swirl Combustor

This is a University of Cincinnati, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics PhD thesis, by Guoqiang Li, 2004. The focus of this dissertation is to investigate the emission characteristics and combustion dynamics of multiple swirl dump combustors either in premixing or non-premixed combustion (e.g. Lean Direct Injection), and correlate these combustion characteristics (emissions, combustion instability and lean flammability) to the fluids dynamics (flow structures and its evolution). This study covers measurement of velocity flow field, temperature field, and combustion under effects of various parameters, including inlet flow Reynolds number, inlet air temperature, swirl configurations, downstream exhaust nozzle contraction ratios, length of mixing tube. These parameters are tested in both liquid and gaseous fuel combustions. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML and the full text of the document is accessible online in PDF format (6.91 Mb). This title is part of the OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) Service

Environmental and Health Impact of Aviation : Final Study

This full text study has been published by the Scientific and Technical Options Assessment (STOA) Panel of the European Parliament's Directorate General for Research. The study summarises policy options and provides background information on the environment and human health. Impacts considered include noise, emissions, resources, cosmic radiation, cabin air quality, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The study is dated March 2001 and is available in PDF format.

Environmental Impact of Delay

This technical report EEC/SEE/2006/006 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in October 2006 and was written by Sandrine Carlier, James Smith and Frank Jelinek. ATFCM activities, coordinated by the CFMU, hold aircraft on ground, preventing these to encounter airborne delays during which fuel is burnt and emissions are produced. On the other hand, during hold-on-ground delays, extended use of A/C engines in idle mode or APU might impact on local air quality. This study is a first attempt to investigate the order of magnitude of the impact of the ATFCM-motivated hold-on-ground” delays in terms of environmental costs and benefits. [Taken from abstract] The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat softwarew will be required in order to read it.

Environmental Policies at Europe�s Airports

This is a Friends of the Earth Netherland (Vereniging Milieudefensie) publication, prepared by Jeffrey Gazzard, with support from the Ministry of Environment, Netherlands, Umweltbundesamt, Germany and the Ministry of Transport, Austria. The purpose of this survey, report and commentary is to try and build an up to date picture of environmental policies at Europe�s airports, what the most significant problems are, what effective measures are in place to controland reduce them, to highlight deficiencies in current policies and to suggest improvements where needed. The text is available in PDF format.

EUR RVSM Implementation Project- Environmental Benefit Analysis

This technical report 2002/008 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in August 2005 and was written by Frank Jelinek ...[et al]. This study aims to analyse the environmental effect of the implementation of RVSM in the EUR RVSM airspace. Investigations have been made especially for reduction in fuel burn, CO2, H2O and NOx emissions. The methodology was based on a comparison of fuel burn and emission production for three January 2002 traffic days before and after implementation. To overcome possible effects just after implementation, in addition traffic days from July 2002 have been analysed. The Advanced Emission Model (AEM3) developed at the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre has been used to estimate aviation emissions and fuel burn. An improved version (EEC-BM2) of the Boeing Method2 (BM2) lead to more reliable in-flight NOx emission estimations. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of this document is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

European Climate Change Programme II

This provides access to EUROPA the European Commission on the Environment's Aviation Working Party Final Report dated 2006. On 27 September 2005 the European Commission adopted a Communication on Reducing the Climate Change Impact of Aviation 1. A key conclusion of the Communication was that in view of the likely future growth in air traffic, further policy action is needed to prevent this from leading to continued growth in its climate impact. Having analysed a number of options, the Commission considered that the best way forward is to include the aviation sector in the EU Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme. On 2 December 2005 the Council of Ministers adopted conclusions 2. in which the Council recognised that the inclusion of the aviation sector in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EUETS) seems to be the best way forward and urged the Commission to urgently put forward a legislative proposal. It also emphasised the need for a further detailed impact assessment and contained a number of preliminary guiding principles largely mirroring the recommendations in the Commission’s Communication. At its meeting on 15/16 December 2005 3.the European Council (the heads of state and government) confirmed the key conclusions reached by the Council and echoed the request for a legislative proposal. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is avaialble in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

European GAES-INVENT Emission Inventory 2002

This technical report 2004/015 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in August 2005 and was written by Frank Jelink, Ivan de Lepinay and Sandrine Carlier. This paper presents the results of annual emission calculations carried out for the ECAC area using the GAES-Move 2002 aircraft movements database. Emissions were assessed using the Advanced Emission Model III (AEM3) and allocated to the ECAC member states using three different schemes: according to the airlines’ nationalities; according to the country of departure and arrival of the flights; and according to the geographical area where emissions were generated. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

European GAES-Move Flight Movement Database Report

This technical report 2004-014 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in April 2005 and was written by Frank Jelinek, ...[et al]. This paper presents the results of a statistical analysis carried out with the 2002 global aircraft traffic data and trajectories available in the GAES-Move database. It includes both a temporal and spatial analysis of the database, along with a comparison of its contents with miscellaneous sources of traffic data for 2002. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Federal Aviation Administration : Aviation Policy, Planning and Environment (AEP)

Within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the AEP is responsible for national aviation policies and strategies in the environment and energy arenas, including aviation activity forecasts, economic analyses, aircraft noise and emissions research and policy, environmental policy, aviation insurance and employee safety and health. The Office of Aviation Policy and Plans develops policies, goals and priorities, forecasts future aviation technology and demand and analyzes the economic impact of regulations; and the Office of Environment and Energy develops, recommends, and coordinates national aviation policy relating to environmental and energy matters, which includes noise and emissions. The site provides access to regulatory documents relating to noise levels for U.S. certificated and foreign aircraft, to estimated aircraft noise levels in a-weighted decibels; and to the Airport Noise Compatibility Planning Toolkit. The site includes links to information on environmental issues and to related policy and guidance documents covering contrails, emissions, air pollutants, and noise abatement. One section of the site is specifically devoted to supersonic aircraft noise including presentations from the 2003 Civil Supersonic Aircraft Technical Workshop. Other sections of the site provide information on key officials, partnership programmes, noise and emissions models, and the The Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF).

Federal Aviation Administration : Environmental Policy and Guidance :

This Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) site provides access to a range of online documents and other information resources relating to aircraft emissions and environmental impact. The publications available online include: Aircraft Contrails Fact Sheet, Aircraft Engine Emissions, Airport Noise and Compatibility Planning, Air Quality Handbook, Aviation and Emissions - A Primer, Aviation Noise Abatement Policy,Consideration of Air Quality Impacts by Airplane Operations at or Above 3000ft, Fuel Venting and Exhaust Emission Requirements for Turbine Engine Powered Airplanes, Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) Associated with Aircraft, Airports, and Aviation - Select Resource Materials and Annotated Bibliography, and the IPCC Special Report on Aviation and the Global Atmosphere - Summary for Policy Makers

Fluid Dynamics Research on Supersonic Aircraft

This web page provides access to a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) educational note, RTO-EN-004, dated November 1998. The publication contains lecture notes from a RTO Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT) Special Course on "Fluid Dynamics Research on Supersonic Aircraft", held at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI) in Rhode-Saint-Genese, Belgium, 25-29 May 1998. A number of topics are covered including: history and economics of supersonic transports; supersonic aerodynamics; sonic boom theory and minimization; multi-point design challenges; vortex plume interactions; and propulsion system design. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (52.8 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

For Greener Skies : Reducing Environmental Impacts of Aviation

The site provides access to a report prepared by the Committee on Aeronautics Research and Technology for Environmental Compatibility, published by National Academy Press, 2002. The study was requested by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It examines whether existing research policies and programmes are likely to foster the technological improvements needed to ensure that environmental constraints do not become a significant barrier to the growth of the aviation sector. The text of the report is available in HTML and Open Book formats.

Forecast of CO2 Emissions from Civil Aircraft for IPCC

This is a QinetiQ report, prepared on behalf of the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI reference number 06/2178), by Gareth Horton, published online on 1st December 2006. The report presents the results of a study to assess the growth of CO2 emissions from civil aircraft to the year 2030, subject to a set of different scenarios, in support of work for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). A key issue is the effect on these emissions of different levels of "CO2 cost", e.g a "Carbon Tax". A total of five different scenarios have been analysed, ranging from no aircraft fuel efficiency improvements to a likely technology scenario plus a $100 per tonne CO2 cost. In each of these cases, the growth in airline traffic in future years has been derived from the forecasts produced by the ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) and an extrapolation previously derived for long term technology goals analyses. The traffic and fuel consumption for 2002 was obtained from the AERO2k database; these two sets of data together with the different scenarios were then used to grow the CO2 emissions to 2030. The text of the report is available in PDF format (33 Kb).

FRAP (The Free Route Airspace Project)- Environmental Benefit Analysis

This technical report 2002/001 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in January 2002 and written by Frank Jelinek, Agnes Quesne and Sandrine Carlier. This study aims to analyse the environmental effect of the Free Route Airspace use. Investigations have been made especially for reduction in fuel burn, CO2, H2O and NOx emissions. The methodology was based on a comparison of fuel burn and emission production in a Fixed Route against a Free Route Environment. The Advanced Emission Model (AEM3) developed at the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre has been used to estimate aviation emissions and fuel burn. An improved version (EEC-BM2) of the the Boeing Method2 (BM2) lead to more reliable in-flight NOx emission estimations. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the document is available tin PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

From Plane To Trains : Realising the Potential from Shifting Short-Haul Flights to Rail

This provides access to the report of a study prepared by the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) for Friends of the Earth, October 2000. It examines the potential for shifting short haul flights, both domestic and to destinations within Europe, onto rail and the environmental benefits this would bring. The text of the report is available in PDF format from the Friends of the Earth web site.

GAES-Future Engine Technology Environmental Impact Study

This is a technical report 2005/002 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in June 2006 and was written by Frank Jelinek, Sandrine Carlier and James Smith. The future engine technology environmental impact study investigates the potential environmental benefit of hydrogen engines compared to the evolution of technology for conventional kerosene engines. Contrail maps are presented to compare both situations. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Gas Turbine Engine Combustion, Emissions and Alternative Fuel

This web site provides access to a NATO Research and Tecnology Organization document titled: Gas Turbine Engine Combustion, Emissions and Alternative Fuel, RTO-MP-14, June 1999. The report contains the proceedings of an Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT) Symposium, held in Lisbon, Portugal, 12-16 October 1998. The Symposium covered the following topics: Gas turbines in land, sea and air applications; Low-emission combustors; Combustion modelling; Optical measurements; Combustor design; Ignition processes; Active combustion control; and, Alternative fuels. Citation and abstract details are in HTML format, and the full text is available online in PDF format (128 Mbytes).

Government Response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Report

This is United Kingdom Department for Transport Paper Cm 6063, which was presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Transport in December 2003. The paper sets out the Government�s response to the Environmental Audit Committee�s Ninth Report of Session 2002-03 containing the Committee�s findings and recommendations following its Inquiry into Budget 2003 and Aviation in the Summer of 2003. Many of the issues raised are addressed in the white paper on the Future of Air Transport, published on 16 December 2003. The text of the paper is available from the DfT's Aviation web site in PDF format (481 Kb).

Guidance to the Civil Aviation Authority on Environmental Objectives Relating to the Exercise of its Air Navigation Functions

These guidance notes have been issued by the Secretary of State under section 70(2)(d) of the Transport Act 2000, and published by the then Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, January 2002. The guidance sets out a clear framework within which the Director of Airspace Policy (DAP) will operate in discharging the CAA's air navigation functions. It includes advice on the Government's strategy for sustainable development, information about the guidance given to local planning authorities where this is relevant to DAP's functions, and guidance on particular environmental objectives. The text is available in PDF format (369 KB).

Impact of Advanced Air Transport Technology : Part 1 Advanced High-Speed Aircraft

This web site provides access to a report produced by the U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, 1980. The report was published as part of a long term study of the economic, environmental, energy, societal, and safety impacts of advances in the technology of high-speed aircraft, commuter aircraft, and air cargo. Part 1 deals with advanced high-speed aircraft, including both supersonic and subsonic. The report is made available as part of the OTA Online Archive. The full text is accessible online in PDF format (1947K). Alternatively, the front matter, table of contents and individual chapters are available as separate PDF files.

Indicators for the Management of Sustainable Growth in the Air Transport System

This technical report 2004/013 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in April 2005 and was written by Ted Elliff. The present report investigates the definition of an initial set of indicators for trend evaluation of the aviation sector impacts on society in Europe, as a step towards assessing its sustainability. Three domains of impact were identified in accordance with the literature: economic, environmental and social. Similarly seven principal stakeholders were used to define the air transport activity. Those were the Air Navigation Services Providers (ANSP), Aircraft and Engine Manufacturers, Airports, Civil Airspace Users, Military Airspace Users, Passengers and finally Citizens. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the document is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Low Carbon Transport Innovation Strategy

Published in May 2007, this Department of Transport strategy sets out a comprehensive approach to incentivising new technology development in the transport sector, building on the findings of the Stern Review. It highlights the wide range of technologies which can contribute to carbon reduction in each of the major transport modes, road, aviation, rail and shipping – and the major new steps that are being undertaken to stimulate the research, development and demonstration projects which can make these technologies a reality. It draws out the links between a future low carbon transport system and a future low carbon energy system. It is available via HTML or PDF (1 Mb).

Lower NOx at Higher Altitudes : Policies to Reduce the Climate Impact of Aviation NOx Emission

This report was published in 2008 sets out to design and evaluate policy instruments that address the climate impact of aviation NOx emissions. It is well established scientifically that cruise NOx emissions cause a significant part of the current total climate impact of aviation. At present, LTO NOx emissions are controlled but cruise NOx emissions are not, and they grow roughly at the same pace as air traffic. The report was produced by authors working for CE Delft and was commissioned by the European Commission, DG Energy and Transport under contract TREN/07/F3/S07.78699.

Manchester Metropolitan University : Centre for Air Transport and the Environment (CATE)

CATE researches the effects of aircraft emissions on global climate change and local air quality, the noise and community impacts of aviation and the broader sustainability and development issues related to air transport and airports. The site provides details of current and previous research, whilst the 'publications' area provides details of relevant publications, some of them available in full text.

NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies : GISS Publications Online

This database service can be searched as part of the NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) or on its own from this site. The GISS publications database lists over 3000 publications authored or co-authored by GISS scientists and colleagues since the Institute was founded in 1961. Most entries are refereed journal articles, but the database also includes conference papers, tech notes, book chapters, graduate student dissertations, and other types of research publications. The database is not complete but does list almost all GISS publications since 1990. Copies of many publications are available in PDF form; otherwise, entries are abstract-only. Some listings also include links to related news releases or non-technical science briefs describing the research.

National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR)

This is the home page of the NLR, a Dutch organisation that identifies, develops and applies high-tech knowledge in the aerospace sector. The NLR’s activities are socially relevant, market-orientated, and conducted not-for-profit. In this, the NLR serves to bolster the government’s innovative capabilities, while also promoting the innovative and competitive capacities of its partner companies. It undertakes research for both national and international customers. The site provides background information about the institute including its annual report and latest news. A section of the site is devoted to describing NLR's research activities, which are within civil and military aviation, aircraft development, space technology and non-aerospace applications of aerospace technology.

National Research and Development Plan For Aviation Safety, Security, Efficiency, and Environmental Compatibility

This web site provides access to a US National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) transportation strategic plan titled: National Research and Development Plan For Aviation Safety, Security, Efficiency, and Environmental Compatibility, produced by the National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Technology, Subcommittee on Transportation Research and Development, November 1999. The plan is intended to act as a benchmark for future inter-agency collaborative efforts to optimise essential US government research toward the attainment of critical aviation and air transportation goals established by the Federal government and supported by industry. The full text of the plan is available in PDF format.

National Transportation Library - Aviation - Aviation Energy and Environment

This is a subsection of the National Transport Library's collection of transport-related documents. The site provides access to a comprehensive list of full-text documents in either PDF or Word format, related to all aspects of airport facilities. Subjects covered include air quality and noise.

Noise Limits for Aircraft Departing from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports : Decision of December 2000

This site provides the full text of a decision by the Secretary of State of the UK Department for Transport (DFT). The decision puts in place new noise limits and noise monitoring arrangements at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted that apply to all aircraft (excepting Concorde). The paper was published on 2nd January 2001. The text can be viewed online in HTML format.

Noise Pollution Clearinghouse

NPC is a US national non-profit organization which seeks to raise awareness of noise pollution, to facilitate information access and communication, and to assist the work of government and other regulatory bodies, as well as activist groups concerned with noise pollution issues. The site provides access to an extensive range of noise related information sources. It is possible to cross-search a number of collections these resources including the NPC Hearing Loss and Occupational Noise Library, NPC Online Law Library, and the NPC Online Library.

Nouvelles Procedures de Gestion du Trafic Aerien en Europe: Influence sur la Consommation de Carburant et la Production d'Emissions

This technical report 2004/009 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in August 2005 and was written by Agnes Quesne. he air traffic management system is becoming constrained in response to the growth of air traffic leading to saturation of airspace. This effect has led aviation stakeholders to work on new airspace organisation concepts. Aircraft which emit gases and particles in the high troposphere and the low stratosphere, can have an influence on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and consequently on the climate. The air transport sector is inevitably concerned by environmental policy. The important effort made by the aircraft industry (engines, aerodynamics...) has produced nearly a 70% reduction in fuel consumption per passenger-kilometre [IPCC, 1999] in 40 years. But this progress has tended to be absorbed by the continual growth of air transport and the organisation of air traffic must in its turn contribute to the reduction in pollutant emissions whatever the phases of flight to be considered (takeoff, cruising etc). The objective of this thesis was to measure the environmental impact of the implementation of new air traffic management procedures in Europe. This consisted of comparing the quantities of fuel consumed and emissions produced for the same sample of traffic managed in two different ways: basic management referring to the traditional air-route network and management using new procedures. The applied aspect of this thesis required a joint approach to the field of atmospheric chemistry and that of aviation. This study is mainly directed towards the emission of pollutants at altitude, i.e. in the cruise phase and is made up of two parts : the use of air traffic scenarios representing new air traffic management concepts, and the consolidation and development of a modelling tool able to generate emission and fuel consumption inventories in four dimensions from aircraft flight profiles. Environmental repercussions of new concepts are thus assessed comparing inventories obtained with and without concept implementation. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the document is available (only in French) in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Numerical Analysis and Optimization of the Ultra Compact Combustor

This is the full text of a Master's thesis by Captain Roger T. Greenwood, USAF, AFIT/GAE/ENY/05-M10, which was presented to the Faculty Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Air University's Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), in March 2005. In an effort to increase thrust per weight ratio and decrease pollutant emissions of aero-turbine jet engines, a circumferentially burning Ultra Compact Combustor (UCC) with a Cavity-in-a-Cavity design has been developed. A numerical analysis of this design has been conducted and compared with experimental results. The CFD model has been validated through a wide range of conditions and four alternative physical configurations of the UCC have been modeled. Emissions, combustor efficiencies, temperature and velocity profiles, and pressure drop values were used as comparison parameters. Numerical results indicate that increasing the outflow area will increase the pressure drop over the combustor and decrease the combustor efficiency. A significant decrease (250%) in the cavity circumferential velocity effectively decreased the fuel-air mixing in the cavity resulting in decreased combustion efficiencies. A decreased cavity length reduced combustor pressure drop significantly with only minimal increases in pollutant emissions. The addition of a curved vane to the decreased cavity length configuration further decreased the pressure drop. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format on the Scientific and Technical Information Network (STINET) which is provided by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

Omega

Omega is a publicly funded academic partnership that was set up in January 2007, to offer impartial, pioneering insight into the environmental effects of the air transport industry, specifically climate change, local air quality, noise, aircraft systems, aircraft operations, alternative fuels, demand and mitigation policies. Omega is led by Manchester Metropolitan University with Cambridge and Cranfield Universities: other partners are Leeds, Loughborough, Oxford, Reading, Sheffield and Southampton. The web comprehensive site provides details of the studies being undertaken and events. There is also a monthly newsletter.

Potential Benefits of Fuel Cell Usage in the Aviation Context

This technical report 2006/004 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in August 2006 and written by Frank Jelinek ...[et al]. This document investigates the possible use of fuel cells in the aviation context and the benefits of using such systems. It is divided into two main parts:an exhaustive literature review presents fuel cell applications focusing on the current and future APUs types;an APU case study is then developed. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Preliminary Local Air Quality Study

This technical report 2002/001 was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in November 204 and was written by Ayce Celikel, Nora Duhanian and Serge Peeters. In this preliminary study we aim to gain experience in local air quality issues by starting to model generic airport and to familiarise with the methodology. The methodology consists of two stages, namely emission inventory and dispersion modelling. To determine the emission inventory and dispersion analysis of the generic airport pollution, FAA Emissions and dispersion Modelling System (EDMS) is used. For the simulations, Nice Airport was used as a model. Through the use of a Geographical Information System (GIS) such as ArcView it was possible to make the entry of emission sources more user-friendly and improve the analysis of emission dispersion. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Reducing the Climate Change Impact of Aviation

This is a Commission of the European Communities communications document, published in September 2005. This was obtained after communications from the commission to the council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. This Communication is a basis for discussion with other European institutions and stakeholders on internalizing the environmental costs of aviation emissions into the EU Emission Trading Scheme. While the aviation sector is confronted with the highest oil and fuel prices in history causing significant economic impacts for the airlines, a number of recent dramatic weather events in Europe and abroad give a reminder of the potentially huge costs associated with the increase in the frequency and severity of such events that climate change is expected to cause. Although the economic context is difficult, the problem of climate change remains urgent and discussions have to be launched now in order to provide timely input for the planned review of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in June 2006. Therefore, the purpose of this document is to state the strategy of the already existing political orientations (i.e. the objective that global surface temperatures should not rise by more than 2°C compared with pre-industrial levels in order to prevent dangerous and irreversible anthropogenic climate change). On the basis of these political orientation this report will provide appropriate guidelines action needs to be taken to ensure that aviation does not undermine, but contributes to, achieving this overall objective.

SBAC Aviation and Environment Briefing Paper : ACARE Explained

This paper is one of a series of briefing papers being produced by the SBAC to explain the work being undertaken by the UK aerospace industry to address the environmental challenges associated with aviation. The papers aim to present new advances in technology so that the reader can better appreciate what the industry is doing and why developing solutions can be challenging. This paper outlines the work programme that has been developed by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) to reduce the environmental impact of aviation. In particular, it discusses the efforts of the European aerospace industry to meet the ACARE 2020 targets, which include targets for emissions (CO2, NOx) and noise. The paper highlights some of the key challenges that must be overcome by manufacturers in order for these tough targets to be met, concluding with a discussion on what lies beyond the 2020 goals.

SBAC Aviation and Environment Briefing Paper : Engine Technology and Emissions

This paper is one of a series of briefing papers being produced by the SBAC to explain the work being undertaken by the UK aerospace industry to address the environmental challenges associated with aviation. The papers aim to present new advances in technology so that the reader can better appreciate what the industry is doing and why developing solutions can be challenging. This paper considers the emissions from aviation, focusing primarily on those that contribute to climate change and discusses the engine technologies being developed to reduce them. It is available in full text in PDF format.

SBAC Aviation and Environment Briefing Papers : Alternative Aviation Fuels

This paper is one of a series of briefing papers being produced by the SBAC to explain the work being undertaken by the UK aerospace industry to address the environmental challenges associated with aviation. The papers aim to present new advances in technology so that the reader can better appreciate what the industry is doing and why developing solutions can be challenging. This paper discusses possible alternatives to conventional aviation fuel (kerosene), considering their compatibility with engine, aircraft and fuel systems, sustainability and environmental impact. It is available in full text in PDF format.

SBAC Aviation and Environment Briefing Papers : Open Rotor Engines

This paper is one of a series of briefing papers being produced by the SBAC to explain the work being undertaken by the UK aerospace industry to address the environmental challenges associated with aviation. The papers aim to present new advances in technology so that the reader can better appreciate what the industry is doing and why developing solutions can be challenging. This paper discusses open rotor engines, a technology that may be used on the next generation of single aisle aircraft and has the potential to significantly reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It is available in full text in PDF format.

State of the Science and Research Needs in the Characterization and Minimization of the Emissions from Gas Turbines

This is the full text of an American Academy of Environmental Engineers report, prepared by G. J. Sturgess and others, edited by William C. Anderson, dated 2000. The aim of the report is to provide a state-of-the-art assessment of the formation processes, measurement and monitoring, control technologies, and health and environmental effects of oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and sulphur (SOX), soot, unburned hydrocarbons (UHC), and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in relation to gas turbines used in aircraft, ships, helicopters, tanks, and jet engine test facilities. It is intended to be an aid in suggesting research directions for minimizing emissions from gas turbines operated by the military. The report is provided in PDF format.

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) : Aviation and Sustainable Development :

This is one of the SEI project pages and is concened with sustainable policy options for aviation. The primary resource available is the SEI's report which was published in July 2004 Aviation and Sustainability prepared by Prof John Whitelegg and Howard Cambridge. The report is intended to draw the attention of the global community to the urgent need for demand management in aviation. It makes nine recommendations all of which are aimed at recognising the sustainable development agenda and ensuring that aviation plays its full proportionate part in delivering sustainability. It is aimed primarily at the international policy-making community (e.g. UNEP, and ICAO) through to the European Union and national administrations especially in the USA, Europe and those countries that are moving rapidly up the demand curve (India and China). It is aimed at airlines and airports and is intended to stimulate a constructive debate. The text of the whole report can be downloaded in PDF format (1.3 Mb)

Sustainability and Air Transport : What Does It Mean For The Aviation Industry

The site provides access to the presentations from a workshop, held 11 January 2000, at Manchester Airport. The workshop was held under the auspices of the Sustainable Cities and Aviation Network (SCAN-UK) initiative. The workshop proceedings cover the following topics: the airport perspective; sustainable aviation - an environmental perspective; and sustainable aviation policy. The text of the proceedings are available in PDF format (0.4Mb).

The 2003 Aviation White Paper : Did the Government Get it Right?

This provides access to a report produced by the Strategic Aviation Special Interest Group (SASIG), dated November 2006. The report suggests that the forecasts made by the UK Government in its 2003 Aviation White Paper have been underestimated. The authors claim that the aviation policy debate needs to be reopened and the report identifies four possible policy options to help the Government take an informed decision on future aviation growth. The text of the report is available from the SASIG web site in PDF (2.17 Mb) format.

The Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft Project : An Interim Review of Science and Progress

This web site provides access to a report prepared by the National Research Council's Panel on Atmospheric Effects of Aviation, National Academy Press, 1998. The report reviews NASA's 1995 progress report on its Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft (AESA) project. This report updates that review and also looks at other more recent work in order to present an analysis of the current state of research in the field. There is an executive summary available in HTML format, and the full text can be accessed online in Open Book format.

The Environmental Effects of Civil Aircraft in Flight

This is a Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution report published in November 2002. In the Special Report, the Commission expresses deep concern about the global impacts of the rapid growth in air travel. At present rates of increase in air traffic, aircraft emissions will become a major contributor to global warming. As short-haul passenger flights make a disproportionately large contribution to the global environmental impacts of air transport, a shift away from the use of air transport to rail could reap considerable environmental benefits. Instead of encouraging airport expansion and proliferation, the government should facilitate a modal shift from air to high-speed rail for short-haul journeys. The Commission recommends that action is taken to include international aviation emissions in the emissions trading scheme envisaged as one of the Kyoto Protocol's implementing mechanisms. The full text of the report is available in PDF format.

The Impact of Monitoring Equipment on Air Quality Management Capacity in Developing Countries

This provides access to an OECD Trade and Environment Working Paper 2006-02 written by Jim Hight and Grant Ferrier, dated April 2006. Reflecting the desire for cleaner air, many developing countries have enacted clean air laws similar to those of developed nations, although to date most of these laws have been poorly enforced. A key starting point to better enforcement is obtaining comprehensive and reliable air-quality monitoring data. This report explores the impacts of air quality monitoring programmes implemented over the last decade in five developing countries: Morocco, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India. These case studies also examine the role of procurement of specialised equipment, usually imported, associated with the various air quality monitoring programmes. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of this paper is available in PDF format from the OECD web site.

The Plane Truth : Aviation and the Environment

This report, commissioned by Transport 2000 and the Ashden Trust, was prepared by John Whitelegg and Nick Williams, and edited by Chris Evans, 2000/01. This report looks at the current level of civil aviation and considers the remarkable forecasts for the rates of growth within this industry. It looks at the impact that aviation is currently having on the environment and estimates what that impact might be if these widely predicted rates of growth are achieved.

UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts 2009

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority document dated January 2009. This forecast document aims to show the demand for air travel by UK and foreign residents to and from the UK airports and includes CO2 forcasts for 2009. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is avilable in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

UK Aviation: Carbon Reduction Futures Final Report to the Department for Transport

This document was prepared by The Centre for Air Transport and the Environment at Manchester Metropolitan University and Cranfield University for the Department for Transport in 2008. The objective of this study is to determine the scope for, and cost of actions that can be taken by, the UK domestic aviation sector to reduce its emissions of CO2. The analysis points to a number of conclusions. A range of measures, comprising technological, operational and fleet management options, can be taken to reduce CO2 emissions associated with the use of aviation fuel. The cost to the industry of adopting these is very sensitive to the price of oil and aviation fuel.

Valuing the External Costs of Aviation

The site provides access to a Department for Transport report, dated 12 December 2000. This is one of a number of supporting studies which accompanied the publication of The Future of Aviation consultation document. The paper briefly reviews some of the economic literature of the valuation of noise, air quality and climate change impacts and considers the implications of aviation meeting its estimated external costs for airline costs, fares and demand. The text of the report can be viewed in HTML format, and PDF (97 Kb) and Word (66 Kb) versions are available for downloading.

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