Many people think cheap air travel should be encouraged because it gives ordinary people freedom to travel further; however, others think this leads to environmental problems so air travel should be more expensive in order to discourage people from traveling by air. Discuss both ideas and give your own opinion.

In recent decades, falling airfares have made air travel increasingly accessible to the general public. While some people argue that making flights more expensive could help reduce the environmental damage 1stemming from commercial aviationassociated with aviation, I believe that affordable air travel should 2remain widely accessiblecontinue to be available because of the social and educational benefits it provides.

One major advantage of cheaper air travel is that it enables 3citizens the freedom to travel further and more frequentlyordinary people to travel more frequently and experience other parts of the world first-hand. Exposure to different countries and cultures can broaden people's horizons, 4deepen their cultural awarenessincrease their knowledge and encourage greater open-mindedness. By contrast, when airfares are prohibitively expensive, overseas travel may remain beyond the reach of many 5low- and middle-income familiesordinary families. 6For example, parents who can afford to take their children abroad 7provide their children with opportunitiesgive them opportunities to experience different cultures and acquire knowledge that cannot always be gained from textbooks. Such experiences can contribute to a broader and more informed understanding of the world.

Nevertheless, the growing popularity of air travel 8undeniably creates significantdoes create significant environmental problems. Frequent flights contribute to noise pollution and generate large quantities of greenhouse-gas emissions, while the construction and expansion of airports can destroy natural habitats and damage surrounding landscapes. Making air travel more expensive could therefore discourage some passengers from flying and reduce these 9ecological harmsenvironmental impacts. However, higher fares would disproportionately affect 10budget-conscious passengersordinary travellers, while doing little to address the underlying environmental inefficiency of aviation. A more sustainable approach would be for governments and airlines to invest in cleaner technologies and improve the 11energyenvironmental efficiency of air travel.

In conclusion, although the expansion of air travel has undoubtedly created 12ecological degradationenvironmental challenges, making flights unaffordable is not the best solution. Given the opportunities that affordable travel provides for people to experience different cultures and develop a broader understanding of the world, I believe that air travel should remain accessible while the aviation industry works to reduce its environmental impact.