International Air Research Articles

Air pollution disproportionately impairs beneficial invertebrates: a meta-analysis

Air pollution has the potential to disrupt ecologically- and economically-beneficial services provided by invertebrates, including pollination and natural pest regulation. To effectively predict and mitigate this disruption requires an understanding of how the impacts of air pollution vary between invertebrate groups. Here we conduct a global meta-analysis of 120 publications comparing the performance of different invertebrate functional groups in unpolluted and polluted atmospheres. We focus on the pollutants ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter. We show that beneficial invertebrate performance is reduced by air pollution, whereas the performance of plant pest invertebrates is not significantly affected. Ozone pollution has the most detrimental impacts, and these occur at concentrations below national and international air quality standards. Changes in invertebrate performance are not dependent on air pollutant concentrations, indicating that even low levels of pollution are damaging. Predicted increases in tropospheric ozone could result in unintended consequences to global invertebrate populations and their valuable ecological services.

Proposals for designing the airspace management of the ATM sectors of the Ho Chi Minh City Area Control Center to increase its capacity

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Vietnam is among the countries with the rapid development of civil aviation (CA). This development is a positive sign to enhance the role and position of Vietnam civil aviation in the civil aviation community. But at the same time, the increase in flight operations poses challenges to flight safety, increases the load on airspace and airports, and pollutes the environment. The Ho Chi Minh City (HCM) airspace is one of the largest and busiest airspace in Southeast Asia. Every year, thousands of flights depart, arrive, and cross the HCM (VVTS) airspace. In addition, aviation operations in the HCM airspace are becoming increasingly complex (they include activity of state aviation, civil and general aviation), which requires the continuous improvement of airspace management. Airspace management, in turn, requires a certain flexibility and a quick response to difficulties arising in the airspace. One of the important components of the HCM airspace is the airspace of the HCM Area Control Centre (ACC1 airspace). At present, the structure of the HCM ACC airspace, which is divided into 6 sectors, shows signs of congestion, which leads to an increase in the workload of air traffic controllers (ATC). Therefore, the HCM ACC airspace redesign is imperative. In this regard, the authors of the article consider the issue of dividing the HCM ACC airspace into 8 sectors and the proposals which are necessary for its implementation. According to the authors, the HCM airspace redesign will contribute to improving air traffic management (ATM) quality, increasing airspace capacity, and reducing ATC workload.

Dual Narratives of the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict in Court: Shaping the Perception of International Terrorism

This article focuses on trials stemming from attacks on El Al aircraft in Athens (1968) and Zurich (1969) and their role in shaping the narrative surrounding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The defense framed the attacks as part of a Palestinian military campaign against Israel, thus rationalizing the behavior as a legitimate response to its actions in occupied territories. In doing so, the Palestinians sought to portray themselves as political resistance fighters. Conversely, the Israelis depicted the attacks as deplorable acts of terrorism that targeted innocent civilians. Their objective was to counter the political motivations put forward by the Palestinians and emphasize the potential repercussions of such attacks on international air travel. These trials marked the first instances of legal proceedings specifically addressing international terrorism, framing these incidents as acts of terrorism rather than legitimate acts of liberation. The trials, along with their outcomes and the subsequent verdicts issued by the courts, played a significant role in defining these actions as terrorism. Subsequent international conventions on hijacking further reinforced this perspective, solidifying them as illegitimate acts of terror.

Evaluating the Eco‐Efficiency of Urban Air Mobility: Understanding Environmental and Social Impacts for Informed Passenger Choices

AbstractFull electric aircraft with zero CO2 emissions during operations are a promising pathway towards achieving the Fly Net Zero by 2050 goal proposed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). In this context, Urban Air Mobility (UAM) expects to offer an environmentally friendly alternative through electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. While eVTOLs produce no greenhouse gas emissions, the comprehensive eco‐efficiency of UAM goes beyond the flight phase. This paper delves into evaluating UAM operation's environmental and social impacts, considering the urban space, public perception, operational profiles, and power consumption. Employing causal loop analysis, the study uncovers the relationships that add value or increase impact, assessing UAM passenger transportation's eco‐efficiency. Moreover, the Unified Architecture Framework is used to model the UAM ecosystem and to propose strategies to balance values and impacts in achieving eco‐efficiency. By shedding light on the sustainability viewpoint, this study emphasizes the importance of holistically understanding UAM's operational impact and empowering users to make eco‐efficient choices when opting for UAM transportation. Finally, strategies to provide sustainability awareness to the user are discussed in the Mobility‐as‐a‐System (MaaS) context.

Agency conflicts in innovation adoption: Lessons from the airline industry

Introducing an innovation does not end, but rather starts, with adoption. In fact, some innovations display network elements and require more than one firm to take them up in order to be successful and deliver the intended results. Such is the case of NDC (new distribution capability), an airline-fostered enhancement of the way air travel services are conveyed and distributed from carriers to travel agents. The promise behind NDC is that travel services will be sold more richly and within a more open and inclusive framework. We draw on the diffusion of innovations, institutional theory, and agency theory to review the determinants of adoption and its effects on performance for service providers. We use the International Air Transport Association (IATA) ticket database to establish the role that institutional pressure plays on innovation behaviours and firms’ results. We find that institutional pressure, not just innovation attributes, influence outcomes. Also, given each player's different incentives and the asymmetry of information, ticket sales are selectively distributed in ways that fit the agent and only occasionally the airline principal. Thus, we conclude that travel intermediaries assess outcomes wholistically and that the innovation's revenue uplift depends on such assessment.

Optimisation of Water Volume Consumption in Commercial Aircraft

This research paper focuses on optimising water volumes consumed in commercial aircraft water tanks during flying to reduce fuel consumption and promote sustainability. The study employs a methodology that includes real data collection, statistical analysis, and optimisation using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The data obtained from Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 fleets used in this study spans from December 2022 to March 2023. The findings and analyses are based on various parameters such as water usage, flight duration, and passenger count. Statistical comparisons between the water usage optimised by RSM and the present estimation model developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Boeing methods are conducted, highlighting the superior performance of RSM in terms of lower percentage errors and better optimisation. The frequency distributions of percentage errors provide further support for the effectiveness of RSM. This research significantly contributes to our understanding of optimising aircraft water usage for improved fuel efficiency and sustainability. The findings have important implications for the aviation industry and environmental preservation. By reducing fuel consumption through optimised water volumes, airlines can enhance operational efficiency while minimising environmental impact.

What shapes international air transportation in Southern Africa? − The evidence considering the impact of Covid-19

The lack of intra-continental air connectivity in Africa has long been criticized. This paper aims to understand the factors determining intra-regional air transportation in the Southern Africa region and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, we analyze the geospatial characteristics of the air transport network, airport connectivity, and market structure before and after the pandemic. We also examine the progress of air transport liberalization in Africa and its impact on market structure and airline privatization. We find that the liberalization facilitated market competition and the progress of privatization, but its influence didn’t sustain long. Secondly, based on monthly data at the city level from April 2012 to December 2021, using monthly Total Night-time Light Intensity (TNLI) as a proxy of gross regional product (GRP), we develop a gravity model to empirically investigate the determinants of international air passenger flows within Southern Africa. The analysis shows that the factors promoting air traffic include GRP, air transport liberalization, the presence of low-cost carriers, and airline privatization, while high market concentration and diplomatic disagreements hinder air passenger flows. The pandemic and associated government restriction measures have severely impacted intra-regional air transport connectivity, while the vaccination program has significantly contributed to the recovery of air transportation.

INTERNATIONAL AIR CRIME: ACTUALIZATION OF THE CONCEPT

The author analyzes the concept of "international air crime", updates the issue of the urgent need to formulate a normative definition of the concepts of "transport crimes", "crimes in air transport", "air crimes", "international air crimes" and some others. In the course of the work, scientific ideas about transport crimes, international treaties ratified by the Russian Federation and the internal law of the Russian Federation, including the Air Code and other regulations were analyzed in order to form the legal foundation for ensuring air security, taking into account the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 7, 2024 of the year. In order to pose the problem, the author has identified classifications of international air crimes that are promising for scientific research, including crimes where air transport is considered as an object, means and place of commission of a crime. In fact, trends in the development of scientific analysis of basic concepts and characteristics of transport and air crimes are presented from a historical perspective. As a result, the author, summing up the current state of legal regulation of international air crimes and the prospects for the development of a system of norms, gives impetus to the specification of the institution of air safety, the branch of international air law and air legislation of the Russian Federation.

Reparation of Civil Aerial Accidents Under International Air Law: A Case Study of the 2020 Ukrainian Plane Incident in Iran

International Air Law, encompassing both national and international legal norms, plays a critical role in defining state sovereignty in airspace and ensuring the safety of passenger aircraft. This paper highlighted the evolution of airspace law, emphasizing key treaties and conventions such as the Chicago and Montreal Conventions, which have shaped the legal landscape of modern aviation. It thoroughly examined the role of Aviation Law in addressing contemporary challenges, with a focus on the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in Iran on January 8, 2020. This incident, a non-warfare act of force, presented a complex legal challenge and led to recent legal controversies. It examined precedents from international and domestic court decisions and directives of relevant organizations, contributing to a modern legal framework. Key discussions included the implications of human error in aviation incidents, particularly in terms of criminal liability and financial compensation. The paper made efforts to evaluate such situations within the framework of international air law, advocating for continuous legal adaptation to safeguard global civil aviation. This study particularly suggests the possible resolutions for aerial accidents, specifically those caused by human error.

Comparison of Emission Properties of Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Conventional Aviation Fuels: A Review

In order to achieve the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) goal of achieving net-zero emissions in the aviation industry by 2050, there has been a growing emphasis globally on the technological development and practical application of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). Discrepancies in feedstock and production processes result in differences in composition between SAFs and traditional aviation fuels, ultimately affecting the emission performance of the two types of fuel. This paper discusses the impact of CO2/NOx/SO2/CO/PM/UHC emissions from the aviation industry on the natural environment and human health by comparing the two types of fuel under the same conditions. Fuel combustion is a complex process in the combustor of an engine, which transfers chemical energy into heat energy. The completeness of combustion is related to the fuel properties, including spray, evaporation, and flammability. Therefore, engine performance is not only affected by fuel performance, but also interacts with engine structure and control laws. The CO2 emissions of SAFs differ significantly from traditional aviation fuels from a lifecycle analysis perspective, and most SAFs can reduce CO2 emissions by 41–89%. Compared with traditional aviation fuels, SAFs and blended fuels can significantly reduce SO2 and PM emissions. Pure Fischer–Tropsch hydroprocessed synthesized paraffinic kerosine (FT-SPK) can reduce SO2 and PM emissions by 92% and 70–95% respectively, owing to its extremely low sulfur and aromatic compound content. In contrast, the differences in NOx emissions between the two types of fuel are not significant, as their generation mechanisms largely stem from thermal drive and turbulent flow in the combustor, with emissions performance being correlated to power output and flame temperature profile in engine testing. CO and UHC emissions are related to engine operating conditions and the physical/chemical properties of the SAFs, with no significant upward or downward trend. Therefore, SAFs have significant advantages over conventional aviation fuels in terms of CO2, SO2, and PM emissions, and can effectively reduce the hazards of aviation to the environment and human health.

Travel bubble policies for low‐risk air transport recovery during pandemics

AbstractGlobal pandemics restrict long‐haul mobility and international trade. To restore air traffic, a policy named “travel bubble” was implemented during the recent COVID‐19 pandemic, which seeks to re‐establish air connections among specific countries by permitting unrestricted passenger travel without mandatory quarantine upon arrival. However, travel bubbles are prone to bursting for safety reasons, and how to develop an effective restoration plan through travel bubbles is under‐explored. Thus, it is vital to learn from COVID‐19 and develop a formal framework for implementing travel bubble therapy for future public health emergencies. This article conducts an analytical investigation of the air travel bubble problem from a network design standpoint. First, a link‐based network design problem is established with the goal of minimizing the total infection risk during air travel. Then, based on the relationship between origin‐destination pairs and international candidate links, the model is reformulated into a path‐based one. A Lagrangian relaxation‐based solution framework is proposed to determine the optimal restored international air routes and assign the traffic flow. Finally, computational experiments on both hypothetical data and real‐world cases are conducted to examine the algorithm's performance. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed model and algorithm. In addition, compared to a benchmark strategy, it is found that the infection risk under the proposed travel bubble strategy can be reduced by up to 45.2%. More importantly, this work provides practical insights into developing pandemic‐induced air transport recovery schemes for both policymakers and aviation operations regulators.

Global Mpox spread due to increased air travel.

Mpox is an emerging, infectious disease that has caused outbreaks in at least 91 countries from May to August 2022. We assessed the link between international air travel patterns and Mpox transmission risk, and the relationship between the translocation of Mpox and human mobility dynamics after travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic had been lifted. Our three novel observations were that: i) more people traveled internationally after the removal of travel restrictions in the summer of 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels; ii) countries with a high concentration of global air travel have the most recorded Mpox cases; and iii) Mpox transmission includes a number of previously nonendemic regions. These results suggest that international airports should be a primary location for monitoring the risk of emerging communicable diseases. Findings highlight the need for global collaboration concerning proactive measures emphasizing realtime surveillance.

Worldwide Regulation of the Medical Emergency Kit and First Aid Kit.

INTRODUCTION: On-board medical emergencies are increasing. Different geographies have different legislation and requirements for medical emergency kits and first aid kits. A comprehensive review to compare the contents of both kits was conducted, including the International Air Transport Association, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and Federal Aviation Administration, as well as some from other geographical areas of the globe to cover continents and regions with the highest air traffic, such as Brazil, Kenya, Australia, and Taiwan.METHODS: On June 10, 2023, a search was conducted using standardized medical terms (medical subject headings) within the PubMed® database. The relevant terms identified were "Aircraft" and "Medical Emergencies"; articles published within the last 10 yr were filtered. Subsequently, even articles published before 2013 were consulted if cited by the initial ones. The main regulatory entities' documentation was found using the Google search engine and consulted.CONCLUSIONS: It is impossible to be prepared for every emergency on board. Still, as doctors, we have a moral and ethical obligation to try to improve the outcomes of those emergencies. Getting a standardized report of every on-board emergency is crucial. That would make optimizing the items to include in the emergency and first aid kits easier. There are many similarities among the compared entities, but essential differences have been found. There is room for improvement, especially for pediatric travelers.Oliveira ATB. Worldwide regulation of the medical emergency kit and first aid kit. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2024; 95(6):321-326.

Usefulness of aircraft and airport wastewater for monitoring multiple pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 variants.

As global travel resumed in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) endemicity, the potential of aircraft wastewater monitoring to provide early warning of disease trends for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants and other infectious diseases, particularly at international air travel hubs, was recognized. We therefore assessed and compared the feasibility of testing wastewater from inbound aircraft and airport terminals for 18 pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 in Singapore, a popular travel hub in Asia. Wastewater samples collected from inbound medium- and long-haul flights and airport terminals were tested for SARS-CoV-2. Next Generation Sequencing was carried out on positive samples to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants. Airport and aircraft samples were further tested for 17 other pathogens through quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The proportion of SARS-CoV-2-positive samples and the average virus load was higher for wastewater samples from aircraft as compared with airport terminals. Cross-correlation analyses indicated that viral load trends from airport wastewater led local COVID-19 case trends by 2-5 days. A total of 10 variants (44 sub-lineages) were successfully identified from aircraft wastewater and airport terminals, and four variants of interest and one variant under monitoring were detected in aircraft and airport wastewater 18-31days prior to detection in local clinical cases. The detection of five respiratory and four enteric viruses in aircraft wastewater samples further underscores the potential to expand aircraft wastewater to monitoring pathogens beyond SARS-CoV-2. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of aircraft wastewater testing for monitoring infectious diseases threats, potentially detecting signals before clinical cases are reported. The triangulation of similar datapoints from aircraft wastewater of international travel nodes could therefore serve as a useful early warning system for global health threats.

Territorializing the air: Border-crossing air pollution and the geopolitics of atmospheric science in East Asia

This paper analyzes how the atmospheric science of transboundary air pollution was employed as a technopolitical strategy to secure a nation’s volumetric territory. In South Korea, border-crossing particulate matter from China has emerged as a controversial diplomatic concern. The Korean government heavily funded atmospheric science to monitor the transboundary incursion and quantify the amount of Chinese influence. The geoscience of polluted air was mobilized to restore the nation’s aerial sovereignty when transboundary materiality threatened its political authority to regulate atmospheric territory. The paper further examines how nationalistic science was challenged by an international air quality survey called KORUS-AQ, a study co-organized by NASA and Korea’s National Institute for Environmental Research. Korean experts used the joint mission with NASA to verify the transboundary impact on Seoul’s air quality and hold China responsible. US scientists, however, challenged this nation-centered vision by highlighting the underestimated domestic sources of air pollution. As a result, the aerial survey did not generate a unilateral understanding of nature but produced multiple and even contrasting territorial imaginations on a single airshed. Atmospheric science, I argue, functioned as a geopolitical arena where different visions on volumetric governance were enacted and competed.

Layout analysis of the RCEP international airline network based on hub identification using improved contribution matrix

The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement brings new opportunities for the development of international air transportation. Faced with fierce competition, it is worth studying how hub airports should enhance competitiveness, and how low-cost carriers and full-service carriers should optimize the RCEP international airline network layout for better development. Aiming at providing suggestions for the development of hub airports, low-cost and full-service carriers in the RCEP international airline network, this paper identifies the hub airports, analyzes the layout of the RCEP international airline network, and the multi-layered characteristics based on an improved contribution matrix using data from 2010 to 2019 collected from the Official Airline Guide (OAG). This method comprehensively considers attributes of hub airports and the multi-layered characteristics of the airports and routes. The layout analysis indicates that the RCEP international transportation market presents a more open environment for competition and cooperation where base carriers are often the biggest supporters of hub construction. The multi-layered characteristics analysis reveals that low-cost carriers contribute more towards opening up new RCEP routes than full-service carriers. It is advised that carriers newly entering the RCEP international aviation transportation market and low-cost carriers dedicate to establishing new routes around their hub airports to monopolize this market and enhance their market share, whilst full-service carriers consolidate existing routes and increase route density to achieve economic benefits.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inbound air travel to Canada.

Commercial air travel can result in global dispersal of infectious diseases. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many countries implemented border measures, including restrictions on air travel, to reduce the importation risk of COVID-19. In the context of inbound air travel to Canada, this study aimed to: 1) characterize travel trends before and during the pandemic, and 2) statistically assess the association between travel volumes and travel restrictions during the pandemic. Monthly commercial air travel volume data from March 2017 to February 2023 were obtained from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). National and airport-level travel trends to Canada were characterized by inbound travel volumes, the number of countries contributing travellers and the ranking of the top ten countries contributing travellers across the study period, by six year-length subperiod groupings (three pre-pandemic and three pandemic). Using seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models, interrupted time series (ITS) analyses assessed the association between major travel restrictions and travel volumes by including variables to represent changes to the level and slope of the time series. The pre-pandemic inbound travel volume increased by 3% to 7% between consecutive subperiods, with three seasonal peaks (July-August, December-January, March). At the onset of the pandemic, travel volume decreased by 90%, with the number of contributing countries declining from approximately 200 to 140, followed by a slow recovery in volume and seasonality. A disruption in the ranking of countries that contributed travellers was also noticeable during the pandemic. Results from the ITS analysis aligned with the timing of travel restrictions as follows: implementation in March 2020 coincided with a sharp reduction in volumes, while the easing of major restrictions, starting with the authorization of fully vaccinated travellers from the United States to enter Canada in August 2021, coincided with an increase in the slope of travel volumes. Descriptive and statistical results suggest a near-return of pre-pandemic travel patterns by the end of the study period. Study results suggest resilience in commercial air travel into Canada. Although the COVID-19 pandemic led to a disruption in travel trends, easing of travel restrictions appeared to enable pre-pandemic trends to re-emerge. Understanding trends in air travel volumes, as demonstrated here, can provide information that supports preparedness and response regarding importation risk of infectious pathogens.

Diurnal variation of air pollutants and their relationship with land surface temperature in Bengaluru and Hyderabad cities of India

Air pollution and Land Surface Temperature (LST) are crucial components of urban environments. As urbanization and industrialization increase, the two components affect the natural environment of the urban areas. The present study investigated the daytime and nighttime spatiotemporal distribution of air pollutants and examined their relationship with LST for Bengaluru and Hyderabad cities of India. Daytime/nighttime/seasonal/spatial variations of air pollutants and LST, sensitivity of air pollutant in affecting LST, relationship between air pollutants and LST, and hotspots/coldspots analysis for LST and air pollutants was carried out. The study utilized, air pollutants data of 5-years from air quality monitoring stations and LST data of overlapping period from MODIS satellite. PM2.5 exceeded the national and international air quality standards while all other parameters were within specified limits/guideline values, at both the cities. The study found that LST had maximum sensitivity towards PM2.5 and NO2 for both the cities indicating that both these parameters are more effective in causing changes in the LST values. High Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI) values for urban areas demonstrated strong surface urban heat island (SUHI) during nighttime in both the cities. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that LST, at Hyderabad, was positively correlated with PM2.5 (r = 0.714) during daytime. Relationship of LST with all air pollutants and meteorological parameters was investigated simultaneously and very strong relationship of LST with all other parameters was observed for both daytime and nighttime for both the cities. The R2 values at Bengaluru were 0.98 and 0.92 for nighttime and daytime, respectively, while the corresponding values were 0.87 and 0.93, respectively for Hyderabad. Hotspot analysis showed that total area of hotspots/coldspots undergoes temporal variations and the corresponding area during daytime was higher/lower compared to nighttime for different parameters. The trend of increase/decrease of daytime area of hotspots/coldspots, over nighttime area, was also different from different parameters as well as it was observed different for both the cities. Overall, the present study provides holistic insights into the interaction between air pollutants and LST in urban contexts. By understating these interactions and variations it helps urban planning and policymaking mitigate the challenge of the rise in LST and air pollutants.

Modeling the volatility of international air freight: A case study of Singapore using the SARIMAX-EGARCH model

The volume of international air cargo not only generates income and jobs for countries, but also promotes international trade and other economic sectors. This study used SARIMAX-(E)GARCH volatility models to model Singapore's air cargo volume in ten key markets namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, United Kingdom (UK), France and Germany. Using socioeconomic factors and monthly data for the period 1991–2022, empirical models reveal that GDP and bilateral trade are important explanatory factors that have a positive impact on international air cargo volume in most of Singapore's key markets. Own price (international air freight), substitute price (deep sea freight transportation services) and the COVID-19 pandemic in the early stages also have different impacts in some key markets. In addition, the effects of positive and negative air cargo demand shocks are also found in different markets. These findings are the basis for forecasting international air cargo volume and making decisions and policies for air freight development.

Temporal variations in international air travel: implications for modelling the spread of infectious diseases.

The international flight network creates multiple routes by which pathogens can quickly spread across the globe. In the early stages of infectious disease outbreaks, analyses using flight passenger data to identify countries at risk of importing the pathogen are common and can help inform disease control efforts. A challenge faced in this modelling is that the latest aviation statistics (referred to as contemporary data) are typically not immediately available. Therefore, flight patterns from a previous year are often used (referred to as historical data). We explored the suitability of historical data for predicting the spatial spread of emerging epidemics. We analysed monthly flight passenger data from the International Air Transport Association to assess how baseline air travel patterns were affected by outbreaks of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Zika and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) over the past decade. We then used a stochastic discrete time susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) metapopulation model to simulate the global spread of different pathogens, comparing how epidemic dynamics differed in simulations based on historical and contemporary data. We observed local, short-term disruptions to air travel from South Korea and Brazil for the MERS and Zika outbreaks we studied, whereas global and longer-term flight disruptions occurred during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. For outbreak events that were accompanied by local, small and short-term changes in air travel, epidemic models using historical flight data gave similar projections of the timing and locations of disease spread as when using contemporary flight data. However, historical data were less reliable to model the spread of an atypical outbreak such as SARS-CoV-2, in which there were durable and extensive levels of global travel disruption. The use of historical flight data as a proxy in epidemic models is an acceptable practice, except in rare, large epidemics that lead to substantial disruptions to international travel.