Flight Paths

This image was published on the BBC News website in May 2013. Not only is it a beautiful picture it also highlights how air travel has expanded over the years. Locations on the other side of the world are now hours not months away. Whilst the planet has remained the same size air travel has in relative terms made it smaller. This smaller world has lead to areas that at one time might as well have been on another planet being realistic economic partners for trade. The flight paths also reflect the broadening horizons of the typical holiday destination. The seaside holiday of the early 20^th century has been replaced with destinations such as Australia, Asia and the Americas.  

 

This at first seems a basic image simply mapping flight paths. When you start to consider some of the issues and talking-points that are linked to aviation however this image could lead to several areas of discussion within the classroom. It is suited to help children think about some of the wider implications of globalisation in relation to both economics and the environment. There are three main focus areas for flights: Europe, North America and East Asia. This highlights the centres that are powering globalisation. There is also the environmental aspect of the image to consider - the impact of emissions related to air travel. Historically the environmental problem has been the responsibility of the countries where the industrial revolution took place centuries ago. Aviation is slightly different however with long-haul flights (the source of most emissions) beginning in the 1970s we see a greater impact by Asia. China, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, and Australasia are all contributors to this source of carbon dioxide.