There’s a lot dialogue concerning the lack of airport capability. Nonetheless, I recommend another safety focus. I see the burgeoning aviation trade as creating hurt in three totally different arenas: in airport communities, in local weather change, and in lowered air visitors safety.
Irreparable bodily hurt to residents of airport neighborhoods is properly documented. Air journey’s contribution to local weather change can also be properly documented. Efforts to supply so-called sustainable aviation fuels are unlikely to scale back aviation emissions. Overworked and understaffed air visitors controllers are getting nearer and nearer, out of exhaustion and ensuing dysfunction, to permitting air crash disasters [“Exhausted air traffic controllers pushed to brink by shortages,” Dec. 5, Business]. No straightforward options to this downside seem on the horizon, aside from canceling flights when rested air visitors controllers usually are not out there.
On account of all these components, evidently increasing airport capability would paint us right into a nook and wouldn’t be sustainable or secure.
John Birnell, Seattle