As we enter the 2020s, we are looking to the future and future of air transportation. We are not talking about the next few years – we are looking forward to what will be the future of air transportation in 2050.
This outlook has led to rapid development and implementation of air transportation changes and ideas over the years.
Drone In Transportation
Are drones the future of air transportation? It’s an interesting time to analyze the potential influence of drones on the future of air transportation. Skepticism about the feasibility and legality of incorporating drones in air transportation models is common and understandable. Flying drones and robotaxis will enable faster transportation of people and goods and the use of drones could enhance the security of both assets and people. Military forces are also exploiting the use of drones to resupply soldiers with equipment, spares, food, and ammunition on the battlefield.
A new dawn for supersonic flight?
When considering the future of air transportation, the prospect of the return of supersonic flight is a hot topic. Of course, we have already built up decades of experience in this industry. You must have heard about the legendary British-French jetliner Concorde inspired the world by making supersonic travel a reality.
Boom supersonic a start based in Denver is currently developing a supersonic jetliner known as Overture. This startup plans for its proposed overture aircraft to seat 55 passengers.
A greener industry
Many airlines have also set 2050 as an environmental milestone, making net-zero emissions commitments for the year in question or earlier. They will look to do so through various means, including carbon offsetting, new technology, and biofuels. Those involved include airlines and their alliances, manufacturers, and even airports themselves.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr criticized this target as being a very long way. He believes that this should be focused and implemented and achieved now. In any case, even today both air transportations and customers are becoming more environmentally driven when it comes to decision making. With 2050 eyed as a concrete target for many companies to reduce their footprint, such trends are likely to grow as the year edges closer.
Next-generation seat technology
The very nature of how we travel on aircraft may also be subject to extensive changes over the coming years. Companies are increasingly looking to the future to find more space-efficient ways of increasing capacity, without jeopardizing passenger comfort.
Have you heard about Zephyr’s double-decker economy seats? Will Zephyr’s double-decker economy seats become more widespread by 2050? This appears to be an area with significant market interest. Indeed, Simple Flying reported earlier today that Zephyr Aerospace had achieved 700% of its crowdfunding goal for its solution. Zephyr’s proposed cabin consists of double-decker economy class seats that, believe it or not, even promises the comfort of a lie-flat bed!
Changing long-haul aircraft trends
The events of 2020 may also prove to leave a lasting mark on air transportation in terms of the aircraft deployed on long-haul flights. As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic caused passenger numbers to fall, many airlines began to move away from larger and older four-engine such as the Airbus A340, A380, and Boeing 747.
Concurrently, Airbus has been making significant steps forward with its proposed A321XLR. This has been touted as a potentially game-changing aircraft for the long-haul market. As such, the coming decades may well see an increasing trend towards this and other long-haul narrowbodies. Airbus has even revealed a specialized cabin for such operations. This commitment suggests that the long-haul narrowbody market may well boom by 2050.
