As competition among airlines around the world intensifies, more and more
people find it convenient to travel by air for business and leisure. But the
rapid growth of commercial aviation is having a significant impact on global
warming and the Asia-Pacific region, the world's fastest expanding market for
air travel, is starting to feel the heat.
In its latest forecast of aviation growth, European aircraft maker Airbus said
this month that the world's fleet of large passenger jets (more than 100 seats)
would double in the next 20 years to nearly 33,000 aircraft. It also predicted
that passenger traffic would rise by 4.9 per cent a year between 2007 and 2026,
while air freight would rise by 5.8 per cent annually in the same period.
The greatest demand will come from the Asia-Pacific region, where airlines will
take delivery of 31 per cent of new planes in the next 20 years, compared with
24 per cent for Europe and 27 per cent for ...