The Role of Air Cargo Between Air Transport Development and Environmental Sustainability

vol.3, no.2, pp.1-11, 2023 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)

Development of air transport is important for trade, competitiveness, and growth of the

economies. For trade to be competitive, continued investment to improve air transport

infrastructure is necessary for meeting increasing demand for air cargo providing fast

deliveries of high value and time sensitive goods. While the development of air transport

and air cargo is beneficial for the economy, it has negative consequences on environment.

For environment to be sustainable, development of air transport and air cargo has an

important role to play. This study therefore aims to find out what effect the development

of air transport has on environmental sustainability and on this effect what role air cargo

plays. Based on the Baron & Kenny mediator analysis, cross country data set was tested

by multiple regression and Sobel test. The results show that the development of air

transport has a negative effect on environmental sustainability and on this effect air cargo

is a partial mediator. By introducing air cargo as a mediator in the relationship, the

negative effect of air transport development on environmental sustainability weakens but

its significance remains.