Geography · Ch 7 — Transport and Communication
Air Transport
Air Transport
Air transport is the fastest mode of moving people and goods, but it is also the most expensive. Because of its speed, passengers prefer it for long-distance travel. Valuable cargo can be moved rapidly across the world. In many cases, air transport is the only way to reach places that are otherwise inaccessible.
Air transport has brought about a connectivity revolution. It has overcome the friction created by mountain snowfields, deserts, and other inhospitable terrains. Accessibility has increased dramatically. For example, airplanes bring varied articles to the Eskimos in Northern Canada, unhindered by frozen ground. In the Himalayan region, roads are often blocked by landslides, avalanches, or heavy snowfall. At such times, air travel is the only alternative to reach a place.
Airways also have great strategic importance. The air strikes by U.S. and British forces in Iraq are a clear example of this. The airways network is expanding very fast.
The textbook text for this section is brief and does not include detailed classifications, tables, or numerical data. The notes below cover every point the book makes.
Infrastructure Requirements
Manufacturing aircraft and operating them requires elaborate infrastructure. This includes:
- Hangars for storage
- Landing and take-off facilities (runways)
- Fuelling facilities
- Maintenance facilities
The construction of airports is very expensive. Therefore, airport development has been greater in highly industrialised countries where there is a large volume of traffic.
Pipelines (from the same textbook section)
The textbook text for section 7.6 also includes a discussion of pipelines, which is presented here for completeness.
Pipelines are used to transport liquids and gases over long distances. They are particularly useful for connecting oil wells to refineries and to ports or domestic markets.
- Big Inch: A famous pipeline that carries petroleum from the oil wells of the Gulf of Mexico to the north-eastern states of the USA. …
Figure 7.15 is a black-and-white photograph taken at Salzburg Airport. In the foreground, a small aeroplane sits parked on the apron or runway. Behind the aircraft, you can see airport buildings and hangars — the infrastructure needed for parking, fuelling, and maintenance. In the far background, a mountain range rises, reminding us that air transport can overcome the friction of mountainous terrain.
The image directly supports the textbook's point that air transport requires elaborate and expensive ground facilities: hangars, landing strips, fuelling stations, and maintenance sheds. The presence of mountains in the background also illustrates why air travel is often the only viable option in regions where snow, landslides, or avalanches block surface routes — exactly as the text describes for the Himalayas and Northern Canada. …