100 Airports Under Water If Science-Based Emissions Targets Not Met

Recently, many #airlines have discussed developing reduction objectives for #greenhouse gas emissions that are based on research. This indicates that they have worked with the Science Based Targets project, or SBTi for short, to figure out how much CO2 emissions must be reduced in order to adhere to the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping global warming well below 2°C. What is at risk for the aviation sector, though, if those goals are not met?

Even putting aside the obvious catastrophes that would befall humanity as a whole if leaders do not succeed in uniting and completing the goal they set themselves in the French capital in 2016, global warming of 2°C would drastically affect the aviation industry. One of these entails submerging at least 100 airports as a result of sea level rise.

Sea levels along the #US shoreline are expected to increase by another half metre by 2050, that illusory deadline by which the sector has promised to achieve net-zero emissions. 100 airports worldwide would be below sea level if the global temperature rose by 2°C, which the Paris Agreement seeks to avoid. This was revealed by a Newcastle University School of Engineering study last year. The risk of coastal flooding would extend to an additional 364 airports.

Major airports around the world are already experiencing flooding. After catastrophic flooding in New Jersey as a result of hurricane Ida's torrential rain in September 2021, New York Newark momentarily suspended flights. Typhoon Jebi's three-meter storm surge and subsequent closure of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe's Kansai International Airport (KIX) a few years ago. The bridge that connects the airport to the mainland was damaged when an ocean tanker drove into it, leaving thousands of people stuck. The airport is situated on a man-made island.

Extreme weather, such as hurricanes, seriously disrupts both aviation and the economy as a whole. The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season caused more than $70 billion in financial damage in the US. According to #MIT research, human-caused climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of storms.

If temperatures climb by more than 1.5 degrees, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport will be below sea level. Images via Getty Images

East and Southeast Asia are home to the majority of the major airports that are most at risk from climate change. By 2050, the entire city of Bangkok, including Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, is expected to be submerged by predicted water levels (BKK). LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR) rank among the 100 airports mentioned by the report as being below water, while London City Airport (LCY) in the UK experiences the highest danger.

Other airports that will close include Key West International Airport (EYW) in Florida, Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) in New Orleans, and Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) in China. Between 10 and 20 percent of all international flights are at risk of interruption by 2100 due to coastal airports' disproportionately significant role in the global airline network. In addition, hotter air will cause significant increases in turbulence and illumination. But that is a discussion for another day.