ABSTRACT
The previous chapter explored some of the opportunities for aviation to improve its fuel efficiency and carbon intensity per passenger-km. However, the speed at which the various opportunities are exploited and the overall consequence for aviation emissions, in absolute terms rather than in relative terms, relies not only on engineering and managerial expertise, but is intrinsically linked to the political and social context and legislative framework. For example, policies to restrict the most polluting aircraft landing in the UK may do little to drive innovation towards lower-emission aircraft if the wider EU does not take similar action. Similarly, concerns over flying within a blended wing-body aircraft founded on, for example, perceptions of safety, could scupper desires to make a step change in airframe design. Both now and in the future, political, social and cultural structures and drivers on a variety of spatial scales will be instrumental in shaping how the aviation industry develops. This chapter explores some of the most important policies and drivers visibly altering the industry, with the intention of grounding a number of the scenario assumptions presented in Chapter 6. In addition, the chapter provides a useful reference source for the current aviation climate debate. The chapter by no means aims to discuss all the drivers behind growing aviation demand or consumption, or indeed to provide a complete understanding of the complex interactions between the various stakeholders within the aviation system. Research investigating broader social and political dimensions of aviation is ongoing within Tyndall Manchester; findings from which will be made available on the Tyndall Manchester web site. However, some of the issues presented are informed by early outputs from this research.
