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http://www.ncas.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=324&Itemid=134. Accessed March 09, 2010

Executive Summary

On an initiative taken by the academic community, a ‘Town Meeting’ was organized under the auspices of the NERC Centres for Atmospheric Science, in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Cambridge. Approximately 60 scientists and engineers attended from UK academia, giving a broad representation of the expertise from universities that have interests in this field. Seven plenary talks were given that covered recent and current assessments, climate science, engine/airframe engineering, local air quality, atmospheric chemistry and UK/international policy drivers. Breakout groups were asked to address research requirements and prioritize them. These were then reported back and discussed
within a plenary session. This document represents a synthesis of the two-day meeting presentations, discussions, conclusions and recommendations. It provides brief updates on the science and conclusions and recommendations for future research. It was concluded that there are three research priorities that need addressing: local air quality; global climate and atmospheric composition; engine, airframe and fuel technology developments. Whilst not discussed extensively, the meeting concluded that relevant socio-economic research was also important
with the requirement to look more deeply into the economics of the industry. We conclude that there is considerable expertise available within the UK academic sector that can address the research requirements identified – much of this research not only addresses the impacts of aviation on the atmosphere but also supports much-needed basic scientific research where there are key uncertainties in atmospheric processes.