More and more people are flying. In 2018 alone, worldwide passenger air traffic will increase by 6.7 percent compared to the previous year. And it continues to grow. This means that the negative effects are also growing. With this brochure, the German Environment Agency (UBA) is therefore addressing an important and at the same time very complex issue. How much air traffic is actually necessary? At what cost to humans, the climate and the environment will it be affordable in the future? How can we achieve a change in transport that not only affects aircraft and airports, but also changes in the economy and consumer behavior?
Each issue of the Agency's "What Matters" magazine is devoted to relevant topics in the field of environmental protection. It is published every six months. In its 2-2019 issue, UBA takes a look at air traffic: What effects does flying have on the environment? How do noise and pollutant emissions affect human health? And what solutions has UBA developed to make flying more environmentally friendly in the future? The magazine also explains ways of compensating for air travel and introduces the Agency's noise laboratory.