Sustainable Aviation: An Introduction

The aviation industry plays an important role in the global economy. Before the recent crisis caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, air transport alone contributed US$2.7 trillion to the world GDP and supported 65.5 million jobs globally. Airports also play a fundamental role in the sustainable development of aviation. The establishment of an international policy framework within the UN allows technological improvements and operational changes to be implemented through policy documents, technical/operational standards, recommendations and economic measures, which are typically translated into legislation/regulations by national governments. One of the earliest propositions brought forward at the onset of the global warming debate was a tax imposed on companies based on the amount of emissions they produce, specifically on Greenhouse Gasses such as CO 2 and was commonly known as “Carbon Tax”.