Flight Shaming. Aviation and the Environment: Where Is The Industry?
I see lots of comments about the impact of airplanes on the environment.
I’d like to put something in perspective though.
Think really simple, mail and packages are delivered primarily by airplanes. Actually, airplanes first flew cargo and still do; passengers you, me, were an after thought :-).
There is zero need for flight shaming.
Let’s discuss.
Cargo
Next time at your local airport, look out to see the cargo planes all around. If you’re in Anchorage, AK its pretty amazing to see the planes that cross the Pacific Ocean to re-fuel in Anchorage and continue their journey to the rest of the world, so you can get your delivery ontime. And some no longer need to do so as the technology has gotten better.
You got mail yesterday or perhaps got delivery from Amazon, FedEx, UPS, DHL, or had dinner last night or coffee this morning or got the new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy.
Think of almost everything you use and trace it back to how it got to you. An airplane is perhaps involved.
I know it’s cool to say that airplanes bore holes in the ozone layer, etc. But I think we should really step back just a little bit, just a little.
What Is The Industry Doing?
The industry is not asleep either, many airlines and the manufacturers of the planes and engines are working on cleaner fuel and more efficient engines and airplanes. The three newest twin aisle ones are the Airbus A350, Airbus A330neo, Boeing 787, Boeing 747-8i and the Boeing 777. These are long term projects and the airplanes are getting better over time.
Fleet Renewals
Airplanes and engines are expensive and it will take time to renew the fleets. And I know that no one wants to pay more than they should for the airline tickets to make this happen faster. Plus, there just aren’t enough new planes out there to completely renew fleets.
So please think before you jump on a bandwagon about air travel, or carbon offsets when it comes to the aviation industry.
You may have even flown on a biofueled plane and not know it.
Essential Air Services
Some communities would be cut off without aviation. In the U.S. there is a service called Essential Air Service (EAS) that fosters this ensuring that small communities receive much needed air service.
There may be similar in other countries.
What the Industry Is Doing
Here are some links to help you understand the industry plus some airlines have a page on their Web site about this. I can always provide more information if you need it, don’t hesitate to ask:
Airbus
Embraer
Delta Air Lines
Emirates
United Airlines
General News
What say you? What re your thoughts on flight shaming?
Comments 2
The majority of airplanes are shared public transportation. How else are all those people gong to get where they are going…drive their own cars long distance or take a boat?
Huh?
What does package delivery have to do with ozone? Nothing. Don’t say “Life is great with all this mail, so who cares about ozone.” It will not work out well in the end. We need to do more.