Maximizing the benefits of Aviation.

 

SUPPORTING UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS.

The United Nations (UN) adopted the TransformingOur World: 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment in 2015. This agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity, and seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. The world should aim to Achieve the 17 SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets by 2030. Aviation contributes to achieving many of the SDGs directly and indirectly. Attainment of the SDGs relies on advances in sustainable air transport, which is a driver of sustainable development. In accordance with the recommendation made by the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport, all stakeholders must make a genuine commitment to transforming the transport system in terms of individual travel and freight into one that is “safe, affordable, accessible, efficient, and resilient while minimizing carbon and other emissions and environmental impacts.” 

This checklist provides a guide for maximizing aviation benefits in a sustainable manner. Implementation will require leadership and concerted, coordinated actions from public authorities at all levels, together with aviation stakeholders, financial sectors, and international and regional organization

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING Mainstream the priorities of the aviation sector in States’ economic development planning so that aviation can be used as an economic development driver.

AIR TRANSPORT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK Establish and apply good governance for air transport, i.e. the institutional, regulatory, and policy frameworks, in which air transport is designed, implemented and managed.

AVIATION INFRASTRUCTURE Develop quality aviation infrastructure (including air navigation systems and airports) commensurate with the level of predicted traffic growth and based on ICAO’s global plans.

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION Promote diversified funding and financing sources in partnership with States, international and regional organizations, and industry, as well as multi-lateral development banks and other financial institutions.

SAFETY AND SECURITY Comply with ICAO’s global standards and policies, as well as industry standards to continue enhancing civil aviation safety and security.

 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Reinforce efforts toward minimizing the environmental effects from civil aviation activities, especially the achievement of the aspirational goals of carbon neutral growth from 2020.

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT Foster an informed and engaged public as a crucial partner to advance sustainable air transport solutions

The future growth of air transport will likely depend on sustainable world economic and trade growth, as well as declining airline costs and ticket prices. Other factors, including regulatory regimes (such as liberalization of air transport), technological improvements and fuel costs will also impact future growth. If traffic growth were to slow by just one percent annually, the total number of jobs supported by the air transport sector would diminish by over 10 percent (more than 10 million jobs) and the contribution of the air transport sector to world GDP would drop by some 12 percent (US$690 billion). To encourage this projected growth in a sustainable manner and produce inclusive and productive development and employment, aviation must continue to develop coherent policies with tourism, trade and other transport sectors. A national or regional policy framework consistent with ICAO’s standards and policies, and with globally accepted good regulatory practices, can unlock the full value of aviation. New technologies and procedures should also be adopted to further improve connectivity and modernize infrastructure while minimizing any possible adverse impacts of this growth on the environment. 

AIR SAFETY = ECONOMIC BENEFITS

 The growth of air traffic depends on factors such as airfares, relative prices, real income, level of output, etc. Although there is not a clear understanding of how safety performance affects traffic demand, public safety reputation might affect travellers’ choice of destinations and airlines. A potential impact of safety on traffic demand can be estimated using the econometric model, which uses an effective Implementation (EI) score measured by the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme Continuous Monitoring Approach (USOAP-CMA) as a proxy to each State’s safety performance. With all other factors affecting traffic being constant, this hypothetical analysis suggests that 10 percent improvement of the EI of a State’s safety oversight system might generate on average an additional 1.8 percent of aircraft departures from the State concerned.

SUSTAINING THE FUTURE OF AVIATION

 By 2034, both air passenger traffic and air freight traffic are expected to more than double, compared to 2016. Passenger traffic is expected to reach over 14 trillion RPKs with a growth of 4.6 percent per annum, and freight will expand by 4.4 percent annually over the same time period, to 466 billion FTKs. This growth holds tremendous economic potential which will support all States in achieving the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In 2034, aviation will provide 99 million jobs and generate US$5.9 trillion in GDP, a 122 percent increase from 2014.