It is undoubtedly true that in the last decade there has been a significant increase in global air travel. There are many complex reasons for this and in order to better understand this trend, it is interesting to consider them in detail.
The aviation industry has become highly competitive over the years and this has resulted in cheaper ticket prices for flights overall. This increased accessibility to air travel alone is a huge factor in the increase in the number of air travellers. Another major reason is the nature of education and job prospects in a globally connected world. People increasingly seek better educational and job prospects away from their hometown or home country and this results in a greater number of them travelling to other places for work or academics. Likewise, businesses also increasingly seek to market themselves to the global market which results in a greater number of business travellers.
This trend has positive and negative consequences. An increase in air travel has lead to better cooperation and understanding between countries of different cultural backgrounds. This has promoted peace and prosperity for everyone involved, leading to a better developed economy and an increase in the quality of life for most countries that choose to participate in the global economy. However, a huge drawback has been the affect that increased air travel has had on greenhouse gas emissions. Airplanes consume significant amounts of fuel which results in millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted each year. This is increasingly being observed closely as airplane manufacturers seek to move to green fuels or electric planes to lessen their impact on the environment.
In conclusion, it is clear that the increase in air travel has largely been a positive thing which has resulted in a more peaceful world with better cooperation, understanding and trade between countries.