ABSTRACT
The airport industry, like all other industries, is facing the effects of increasing environmental pressure. The level of environmental concern varies from country to country, or from one airport to another, depending on views about aviation and other social and political attitudes. In many countries increased prosperity has led to greater expectation for the quality of life and more sensitivity to the environmental impacts of airports. For this reason it has become progressively diffi cult substantially to expand airport operations or to build new airports. All indications are that this will become even more diffi cult in the future as concern for the environment grows. At the same time, continual long-term growth in demand is putting greater commercial pressures on airports to develop further. The problems are particularly acute for airports that are popular because of their proximity to local population centres, but in turn this means that a signifi cant proportion of the community is affected by airport operations. In short, environmental issues must be seen as one of the greatest challenges to, and possible constraints on, the future activities of the air transport industry.
