Aviation is an integral part of the infrastructure of the modern civilization. Air transport
plays an important role in the global economy and has contributed enormously towards
global integration. It supports commerce, tourism and private travel. These positive
advantages of the aviation industry involve substantial costs to the environment.
Aircraft emit large amounts of air pollutants, degrading air quality. Air pollution in and
around airports worldwide is rapidly growing. Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA) is
no exception. It is planned to undertake expansion and development at Abu Dhabi airport
to meet the requirement of fast growing air traffic, which is expected to reach 30 million
passengers annually between 2030-2050. The projected growth of air traffic is likely to
result in considerable impact on local air quality and climate.
The first aim of this project was to review the available monitoring data and explore what
additional measurements would be useful. The second aim was to assess emissions from
the various sources on the ground, which will increase with airport development. Thirdly,
since CO2 emissions from aircraft is major issue in relation to climate change, this study
also aimed to estimate CO2 emissions from aircraft, and provide future projections.
Monitoring data from the Abu Dhabi area and monitoring campaigns at the airport have
been analysed relating them to characteristics of the surrounding area and airport
activities. To obtain higher spatial resolution, diffusion tubes were used although they
proved to be of limited use because of extreme meteorological conditions.
Data have been collected from various sources on each of the emission related activities
at ADIA. An emission inventory of ADIA activities has been generated using Emission
Dispersion Modelling System (EDMS) for different air pollutants such as NOx, PM10, and
CO. This included emissions from aircraft and ground support sources. The information
gathered produced a basis for projections for future growth and development of ADIA
during the coming years.
CO2 emissions have been assessed based on current aircraft mix and air traffic data at
ADIA, combined with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) data. The
consequences of projected growth of ADIA for different aircraft types and journeys have
been determined.