Aviation air pollution studies in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi

Abstract

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.