Aerospace Industries Association
Aviation and the Environment Background
A little more than a century ago, an aircraft took off from a wind-swept sand dune at Kitty Hawk on a controlled, heavier-than-air flight and changed the world forever. Powering that flight was a tiny aluminum-encased custom-made, gasoline-fueled engine that produced 12 horsepower – about the same as a riding lawn mower.
Today aircraft are powered by huge turbofan engines that produce as much as 127,000 pounds of thrust – many thousands of times more powerful that the Wright’s engine. This remarkable leap in technology has made aviation one of the most important and relied-upon industries in the world. But the growth of the industry has also meant impacts on the environment.
Over the last few decades, perhaps no industry has done more to improve its environmental performance. Today’s aircraft and engines are much more efficient than those flying just 20 or 30 years ago, dramatically decreasing fuel burned and harmful emissions. New aircraft models now under development promise to make even bigger gains in efficiency, cutting the industry’s carbon output even further.
But we are not resting on our laurels. The international aviation industry is making an extraordinary investment in taking environmental performance to the next level with advances like alternative fuels and even more efficient engines and airframes. Coupled with fuel-saving gains in operations and air transportation system transformation, these improvements will make aviation even greener than it is today.
The Wright brothers made their first flight surrounded by the unspoiled nature of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Our industry continues to work toward a similar balance of technology and our environment for the future.
This web site is aimed at provide details of the many steps the U.S. commercial aviation industry is taking to make our already good environmental track record even better. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or to receive further information.
Issues by Subject
Throughout the year, our councils and committees work diligently on many issues of importance to our members.
Letters from AIA
Read letters written to Congress and the administration on behalf of AIA's member companies.
Legislative Center
Reports
Reports and White Papers published by AIA
Acquisition Policy
Aviation and Environment
A little more than a century ago, an aircraft took off from a wind-swept sand dune at Kitty Hawk on a controlled, heavier-than-air flight and changed the world forever. Powering that flight was a tiny aluminum-encased custom-made, gasoline-fueled engine that produced 12 horsepower – about the same as a riding lawn mower.
Export Control
The members of the Aerospace Industries Association have long supported a rigorous export control system that keeps our most advanced technologies out of the hands of our adversaries and rivals. At the same time, it is imperative that this system also operates in a predictable, efficient, and transparent manner to facilitate technology trade and cooperation in the interests of U.S. national and economic security.
Space
AIA celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon while Michael Collins orbited above. As Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon, he said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Workforce
A highly skilled and robust aerospace workforce is essential to our national security and economic prosperity. Yet today the industry faces impending retirements and a shortage of trained technical graduates, which is a situation that is forecasted to worsen within the decade.
