Pollution From Aviation Increases Yearly, Study Says

A new study shows that pollution from aviation increases annually, affecting millions of people.

Air Traffic Pollutants

Every year, planes taking off and landing at London's six airports emit the same amount of dangerous nitrogen oxides and particulate matter as 3.23 million cars.

Residents in Tokyo and Dubai are also exposed to air traffic pollutants equivalent to 2.78 million vehicles.

According to new research, these three cities are the most severely affected by aircraft air pollution. The data comes from the 2024 Airport Tracker, which also considers the impact of aviation freight and passenger flights.

For the first time, it considers the carbon implications of both air freight and passenger flights, including emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from 1,300 airports.

It was discovered that the largest 20 airports together created as much carbon emissions as 58 coal-fired power plants.

"It affects millions of people, who breathe in toxic emissions and develop health conditions as a result, yet policymakers are brushing the problem under the carpet," said Jo Dardenne, the aviation director at Transport & Environment, the thinktank which helped produce the research.

Insufficient Precautions

Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, was identified as the world's most polluting airport. It produced 20.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in a single year, which is nearly equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of five coal power stations, as well as 7,531 metric tons of NOx and 71 metric tons of PM2.5.

Heathrow Airport in London was the second-worst airport for climate effects, emitting 19.1 million metric tons of CO2 and 5,844 metric tons of NOx per year, but its 37 tons of yearly PM2.5 pollution ranked it 16th on the list.

From there, the picture becomes more convoluted, with no apparent link between airport climate impacts and emissions of other dangerous chemicals.

Critics of air travel have claimed that there are insufficient precautions against the types of pollution created by airports.

"Aircraft noise levels are continuously exceeded, and we completely lack European Union standards on ultrafine particles, which are a major health hazard," said Magdalena Heuwieser of the activist network Stay Grounded.

She underscored that critical actions must be implemented quickly to protect the health of workers and communities near airports, such as night flying prohibitions or simple jet fuel modifications to meet at least the same requirements as vehicle gasoline.

However, technology alone will not address the problem; reducing the number of flights is the most effective and necessary solution.

The mother of a nine-year-old child who died from asthma caused by pollution announced that she is filing a High Court claim on the government to help establish a legal "right to clean air."

Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah of south-east London died of an asthma attack in 2013 after being exposed to high levels of air pollution.

In a landmark coroner's case in 2020, she became the first person to have air pollution identified as a cause of death at a UK inquest.

Ella's "illness and premature death" have led to a lawsuit against three government departments for compensation.

Adoo-Kissi-Debrah's lawyers stated that the personal injury case, which is "the first claim of its kind," is not about money but rather about "seeking vindication for Ella's death."