ABSTRACT
Major changes have occurred to the global economy and society over the past half-century, driven to a significant extent by the growth and development of air transport (ATAG, 2016; Bråthen and Halpern, 2012). Airports provide accessibility for city regions to the rest of the world and support economic development (Airports Commission, 2013). They are the physical embodiment of the air transport sector, and as such are the focus for many of the socio-economic benefits the industry brings. However, their operations do give rise to adverse environmental impacts, the significance of which is increasing, and a trend that is unsustainable (Thomas and Hooper, 2013). The airport sector therefore faces similar challenges to other sectors of the economy in mitigating or compensating for these adverse environmental impacts in the context of limited global resources and tightening environmental constraints.
