Producing airspace : the contested geographies of Nottingham East Midlands Airport

During the last 100 years, commercial aviation has developed into an established mode of transportation serving millions of passengers every year, but while researchers from other disciplines - most notably sociology, cultui-al history, and anthropology - have begun to appreciate the multiple dimensions of flight, geographers have written surprisingly little on the subject beyond quantitative analyses of airline networks. While perhaps understandable given the present geopolitical climate of passenger (in)security and commercial confidentiality, this nevertheless means many of the industry's significant facets have yet to be adequately charted. Considering geography's rich heritage of examining space, place, and spatial phenomena at a variety of scales, this thesis provides a distinctive contribution to theoretical and empirical knowledge by addressing the multiple geographies of airspace. Set in the context of the ongoing controversy surrounding the reorganisation offlightpaths at Nottingham East Midlands Airport (NEMA) in the United Kingdom, it considers the inherently geographical and often contested nature of airspace production. By detailing the complex interplay between how airspace is produced 'on the ground' by those who oppose its use, and 'in the air' by Air Traffic Controllers and airline pilots, it offers a new perspective for studies of geography and air transport in an age of mass aeromobility.