The travel and tourism industry is a source of enormous wealth for the world's population. Whether measured in jobs, output, investment or exports, it represents about eleven percent of the global economy. World-wide demand for air service will double before 2010.
Air transport is essential to increasing understanding of different cultures.
It enhances consumer choice, stimulates economic development and facilitates international co-operation. The air transport industry has an excellent record of improving its environmental performance over time and is determined to better this record in the future. Technological improvements to airframes and engines have resulted in quieter aircraft which will completely replace the older, noisier models by the year 2002. These emissions should be eliminated in the next few years. Air Transport and the Environment Adverse Contribution of Congestion Congestion caused by inadequate airport and air traffic management infrastructure only increases the impact of air transport on the environment through more emissions, noise and wasteful fuel burn.