Environmental factors and public perceptions already constrain growth at many airports-especially in Europe-and are likely to further constrain aviation in future. In this paper, the way in which these factors influence airport development is considered, together with methods of managing environmental capacity. Environmental limits are inherent to concepts of environmental capacity and sustainability. Although environmental efficiencies in aviation are the subject of considerable research effort, more attention needs to be given to defining and finding commercially viable ways of working within environmental limits.