The Geographies of Air Transport

Making a detailed contribution to geographies of air transport and aeromobility, this book examines the practices and processes that produce particular patterns of air transport provision both regionally and globally. In so doing, it updates the seminal contributions of Eva Taylor (1945), Kenneth Sealy (1957), Brian Graham (1995) and others to the study of air transport geography. Leading scholars in the field offer a unique insight into the key developments that have occurred in the field and the implications that these developments have had for geography, geographers, and global patterns of past, present and future air transport. Although globalization and liberalization processes have greatly expanded the demand for air transport over the last two decades, the industry has experienced several major setbacks due to economic, security, and environmental concerns. Many of these impacts have been much more pronounced in some regions, such as North America and Europe while others, such as Asia-Pacific have not been as adversely affected. Accordingly, there is a clear need to examine these recent economic and geopolitical changes from a geographical perspective given the differentiated pattern of effects from global processes. Addressing this need, this volume opens with thematic chapters covering key topics such as the historical geographies, socio-cultural mobilities, environmental externalities, urban geographies, and sustainability of the global air transport industry, followed by regional analysis of the industry in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Greater Middle East and Africa as well as North America and Europe.