The Future of Aviation--Can We Get There from Here?

Moving the civil aviation industry forward depends upon its ability to tackle three critical issues: infrastructure, the environment, and safety, according to the author of this article (Paragraph No. 20,051). The author first discusses the International Air Transport Association's (IATA's) safety and environmental initiatives, arguing for harmonized safety audit standards and the expanded civilian use of GPS and other technological advances. On the issues of aircraft engine emissions and noise, the author stresses the need for a single set of global standards and an open emissions trading program, as well as an international framework to protect the value of chapter 3 aircraft while drafting a new chapter 4 noise standard that requires aircraft to be one-third quieter. The author focuses much of his discussion on civil aviation infrastructure, in light of rapidly increasing delays and congestion system-wide. In addressing the European Union's insufficient upper airspace capacity, the author recommends a reorganization and restructuring of the air traffic system into a "single sky," operated by independent service providers and subject to safety regulation by separate independent regulatory agency. Using the United Kingdom's National Air Traffic Service as an example, the author says that corporatizing air traffic control forces the governing entity to think about customer needs and productivity targets, and to seek financing on the open market. He blames the current systems of government-funded ATC for politicizing infrastructure capacity planning and for the systems' failure to respond to demand. In addition, the establishment of a user-fee system provides the potential to create a new type of long-term debt financing instrument--backed by airline commitments for airspace use--in order to pay for aviation infrastructure development and modernization. While airport capacity improvements have been particularly difficult to achieve, the author feels Europe should take a lesson from one of the results of U.S. airline deregulation and develop its secondary hub airports into major new players. Europe, however, is at an advantage over the U.S. in developing intermodal solutions for short- and medium-haul passenger travel due largely to its highly-developed high-speed rail networks. While the means are available to resolve the problems facing civil aviation, the will to achieve the solutions is necessary, and the leadership of the U.S. is of paramount importance, the author concludes.

• Corporate Authors:

  International Aviation Law Institute

  DePaul University College of Law, 25 E Jackson Boulevard
  Chicago, IL  United States  60604
• Authors:
  • Jeanniot, Pierre J
• Publication Date: 2004

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Edition: Transfer Binder 1: 2001 to 2004
• Pagination: pp 10101-10108
• Monograph Title: Issues in Aviation Law and Policy

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Airport capacity; Aviation safety; Civil aviation; Environmental protection; Future; Privatization
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01149581
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 29 2010 12:03PM