Sustainability in the Air: The Modernization of International Air Navigation

Abstract

In a recent article in this journal, Leuenberger, Bartle, and Chen called for public administrators to take a new role, utilizing collaborative skills, to design implementable solutions to promote sustainability in transportation. We examine this call by exploring the case of an international aviation initiative. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) policy has been developed to provide a road map to modernize global air navigation. This article explores the case of the ASBU as an example of meeting the call for the new role for public administrators to implement sustainable practices. We find that this policy improves international air transportation sustainability in several dimensions, and that this approach is a model for implementing sustainable policies.