BY 2030, AIR PASSENGERS IN NORTH AMERICA ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE FROM 704 MILLION PASSENGERS TO 1.21 BILLION, NOT EVEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TAKING TO THE SKIES. WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE, AIR TRAVEL WILL INCREASE, WHICH WILL RESULT IN A LARGER AERONAUTICAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. THIS INFLUX WILL REQUIRE THE DESIGN OF NEW AIRCRAFTS, AN INCREASE IN FLIGHTS, AND A NEED FOR NEW RUNWAYS AND AIRPORTS. AS A RESULT, JET EMISSIONS, AIR TRAFFIC, AND NOISE POLLUTION BY AIRPORTS WILL INCREASE. THESE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS WILL LIMIT THE EXPANSION OF FUTURE AIR TRAVEL AND ITS SOCIAL BENEFITS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF AIRCRAFTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE IS DUE TO THE JET FUEL EMISSIONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE, NITROGEN OXIDE, SULFUR OXIDES AND PARTICULATES. THE FUEL CONSUMED BY US AIRLINES AND THE MILITARY RELEASES 250 MILLION TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE ANNUALLY. FORTY OF THE TOP 50 US AIRPORTS DO NOT MEET EPA REQUIREMENTS OF AIR QUALITY STANDARDS FOR PARTICULATE MATTER AND OZONE. IN 2008, COMMERCIAL US AIRLINES BURNED 19.7 BILLION GALLONS OF JET FUEL AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BURNED AN ADDITIONAL 4.6 BILLION GALLONS. THE TOTAL COST WAS $73 BILLION AT $3 A GALLON. HOWEVER THIS TOTAL COST CAN ONLY RISE IN THE FUTURE, AS JET FUEL IS DERIVED FROM NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES AND AN INCREASE IN AIR TRAVEL WILL RESULT IN A HEAVIER RELIANCE ON JET FUEL. SEVERAL SOLUTIONS EXIST IN INCREASING FUEL EFFICIENCY AND EMISSIONS, SUCH AS BUILDING AIRCRAFTS THAT REDUCE FUEL BURN AND OPERATING THEM MORE EFFICIENTLY THROUGH AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT. CHANGING THE CURRENT FUEL SOURCE REMAINS A PRIORITY, AS MOST AVIATION IS DEPENDENT ON NON-RENEWABLE CRUDE OIL OR LIQUID PETROLEUM. IN THE FUTURE, THESE ENERGY SOURCES WILL BECOME DEPLETED AND A SHIFT TO A RENEWABLE SOURCE OF JET FUEL WILL BE NECESSARY.