A view of the future—constraints and opportunities

Abstract

The primary effects of aviation on society are cited fairly regularly by both the aviation community and its critics. Papers already presented at this conference and others have reviewed the direct benefits to commerce, economic development, and world trade, and the unfavourable aspects of energy usage and environmental disruption.There are also some secondary effects which in the long term may prove even more significant. The characteristic influences of improved transportation systems in general are magnified in the case of air transportation because of its greater scope and pace. The growth of a major transportation system eventually transforms almost every facet of society—the distribution of population within and among countries, the evolution of cities, the development of remote areas, the birth of new industries, the advent of multi-national corporations, the location and structure of governments, the interchange of social philosophies, and even the spread of disease. Increased mobility has accelerated the civil rights movements and the pressures for independence throughout the world. The full schedules of sporting events made possible by air transportation create an outlet for national rivalries on a relatively peaceful basis.