In recent years, the aviation industry has experienced a transformative wave of trends. It’s dynamic and innovative nature has unlocked doors to limitless possibilities, including the realisation of several futuristic concepts like flying cars, or zero carbon emission travel.
Read on to find out where the industry is headed as it heralds a new era of efficiency, speed, and environmental responsibility!
Supersonic, and Sustainable
The last supersonic, passenger-carrying, commercial plane was spotted in the skies in 2003, and none thereafter. The unfortunate engine failure that led to the death of all 109 passengers onboard was the final nail in the coffin. These commercial supersonic flights were then discontinued, due to more reasons than one. At the time, they were just too noisy, unsustainable, and overtly expensive to continue.
But now things have changed.
Technological innovations have boomed over the last decade, and have led to the rise of Boom, the world’s first privately funded and developed supersonic jet. With the vision to develop a commercial airliner, Boom Supersonic predicts the ability to be able to carry 65 to 68 passengers, fly at Mach 1.7 speed, and do all of that with net-zero emissions!
A lot more companies/startups, like Exosonic, United, Japan Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic to name a few have pledged efforts towards leading the way in making supersonic flights a reality.
Fuelling Sustainability
Since the 1960s, the contribution of the airline industry towards carbon emissions has almost quadrupled! Last year, when the world had only started to recover from COVID, the travel industry witnessed an influx, leading to over 900 Mt tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2022, according to a recent study by Statista.
These numbers are on the rise and are moving faster than any other form of transportation. Right now, only 20% of the world opts for regular air travel, but things could quickly change as Aviation Benefits predicts over 10 billion passengers to be flying by 2050. This would mean a significant rise in supply, leading to an estimate of 1.8 billion tonnes of CO2 being emitted.
What’s the solution? Innovative carbon-neutral vehicles that run on hydrogen instead of traditional fossil fuels. There are leading companies like ZeroAviva that are working towards revolutionising the airplane powertrain industry by making easy access to hydrogen fuel a reality.
Automation will be worth $24 billion!
While automation has dipped its toes in every other industry only recently, it’s always been prevalent in the airline industry, like the autopilot feature, to name one.
Now going even deeper, its increased prevalence in cargo transportation has gained quite a bit of momentum in the industry. From self-flying planes to Merlin Lab’s autonomous flying software, automation has taken different forms in the aircraft market.
The market is predicted to be worth more than $16 billion by the end of 2027 and go up to $24 billion by the end of this decade.
Flying Cars Exist
As 2050 as it may sound, hybrid drive-and-fly cars do exist! Thanks to great automotive efforts by companies like Klein Vision, inter-city flying cars have been made, tested, and run between Nitra, Slovakia, and Bratislava.
Their AirCar Pro model has already successfully completed over 140 landings, running 35-minute flights between said cities as of July 2021 and the world is now envisioning air taxi fleets by 2024. Joby Aviation is already one such established air taxi company that plans to make air taxis just as affordable as a regular taxi. Many people’s favourite Uber is also working towards launching Uber Elevate.
Predictive Maintenance to Benefit Both Parties Involved
Delays in flights due to a potential malfunction, the anxiety of having a safe flight across borders, expensive tickets due to continuous upkeep, etc. are a few of the many factors that can be resolved through predictive maintenance.
An issue that has forever plagued the aviation industry, the sky-high costs that come with regular checks and disruptive maintenance can potentially cease to exist. According to Airbus, modern commercial aircraft generate about 30gb of data per day. When this data is read, interpreted, and analysed by manufacturers, it can lead to early diagnosis and timely repairs. This is what we commonly call predictive maintenance.
As we continue to soar towards a sustainable future, these trends will continue to shape the aviation landscape, the kind that is not only faster but also increasingly automated, interconnected, and innovative. The skies of tomorrow promise to be both thrilling and environmentally conscious, and we’re here to bear witness!
As an established agency, we have a highly knowledgeable ‘in-house’ team that consists of aviation marketing experts who offer a wide range of skills and expertise. Get in touch with us to see how we can help promote your aviation brand and campaigns into 2024.
