One of the sectors that have been significantly affected by technological evolution is the aviation industry. From the milestone inventions made by the Wright brothers to the planes that helped win wars and those that have reduced travel time from days to hours and minutes. What remains constant in all these instances is as time goes by, the planes become lighter and faster. Therefore, nothing less is expected from future planes.
Nowadays, most people would like to shop from the malls before they traveling, but they faced a difficult time to get late into the airport. In some country such as china they have a big mall inside the airport, which could the passenger shop what he/she wants before his/her flight from brands such as Nike, Adidas, Gucci, and other big brands. So I hope in future every country has a mall inside the airport to make the passengers satisfied and not being late for their flight.
Recently, Heathrow airport in London challenged airplane designers and manufacturing by agreeing to waive landing fees for a whole year for the first hybrid-electric plane to land at the airport. The implementation of this technology in airplanes will not only help in achieving a pollution free environment but will also act as the first stepping stone in better innovations in the aviation sector. This is a simple example of how advancement in technology is bound to change the phase of aviation completely.
As we know, it is difficult for some people who travel to any country to bring a lot of papers such as passport, I20, refilling form before leaving the plane. However, nowadays in some airports there are something called biometric. It is a device that saves all the information from the first time. A passenger only has to scan his eyes or finger without carrying his passport and other documents.
On the other side of the world, an Israeli startup aircraft manufacturer unveiled its all-electric light aircraft called the ‘Alice Commuter’ during the Paris air show. The plane designed to ferry up to nine passengers for 600miles is packed with 6,000 pounds of lithium-ion batteries (Baldwin, 2017). Engineers look at the batteries invented by Aviation as the next milestone made towards achieving electric airplanes. One of the companies that showed interest in this technology is Uber. This company is looking into using electrical aircraft as air taxis in the future. The Alice Commuter manufacturers are optimistic that they will get the aircraft operational by the year 2021.
Furthermore, a lot of people do not speak the language that they travel to, and the travel experience can be daunting when a traveler in unknown place environment. However, experts are trying nowadays to make a device called a translation technology. This device could solve a lot of problem that a traveler faced when he/she go to another country that does not speak his/her language. So, in near future, this kind of device might ease a traveler who thinks that might face a difficult time in that country because the first time I came to the US, I faced the hardest time in my life.
The story was when I finished from the check in desk and in that I was not speaking English, actually I did not know how to speak English and I was walking to the restricted area and I was not being attention that I was going there. One women security screamed at my face and she said: go away from that area, but in that time I was not knowing what she is saying. However, one of my friends told me in Arabic language to leave that area now.
The VSR700 by Airbus is another aircraft of the future that already exists. Even though Airbus was still carrying out some tests on it, the invention will take innovations in aviation to the next level. The helicopter features a digital control system that is fully automated meaning it can fly itself. Its ability to navigate both land and water bodies using a radar system is an added advantage. The company sees the helicopter serving in rotary-wing tactical requirements in naval operations and land surveillance.
Slovakian aero-manufacturer AeroMobil has not been left behind in defining the aircraft of the future. Its model of flying is not only impeccable but also functional. The car is already in the market going for $1.2 million. It is a combination of everything a car, and an airplane has to offer. Its flexibility in both land and air transport makes it the most suitable form of technology for the future. The excitement that comes from flying the car can only be imagined. During its showcase in the annual Paris air show, the safety requirements put in place for both land and air travel gives it an added advantage.
The goal of developing better aerospace crafts is to have clear skies. Studies have show that 3% of the world carbon emissions are fro airplanes. These innovative engines are a great way of reducing this. With America alone operating over 40,000 flights most of them being commercial, a lot still needs to be done on large commercial planes to improve them. Currently, the best solution we have are the hybrid-electric planes which combine the power of an electric engine and that of fuel. Although they are not entirely carbon-free, their emissions are significantly reduced as compared to those that solely rely on fuel.
Manufacturer’s Seimens, Rolls Royce, and Airbus recently joined forces to produce the first hybrid plane. The plane dubbed E-Fan X is expected to take its first flight by 2020. The project further aims at experimenting weather planes can generate electricity while flying and the safety, measures necessary for such crafts. This has motivated other plane manufacturers to work on their crafts. Washington based Zanum Aero is working on its 12-seater electrical airliner that will travel at a speed of 550km/hr and throughout 1330 kilometers. Batteries hidden beneath the wings and a supporting fuel engine will power the hybrid-electric plane. According to Ashish Kumar, the company’s CEO, the flights will be the short distance as fast as their engineers work on longer distance crafts. This will also reduce carbon emission significantly.
As soon as the hybrid-plane flies safely, then coming up with a purely electrically fueled plane will not take time. Researchers estimate that by the year 2027, the technology will have been adopted by many flight manufacturer’s (Brown, 2017). However, some people are skeptical about the idea of electrical planes with most doubting if the issue with weight is ever going to be resolved. Even then, the primary point of concern is the current battery technology and whether it can power a plane. Therefore, the future of aviation highly depends on electric planes.
Researchers have also considered the use of drones for transportation. Keeping in mind the vast applications of drones currently like in agriculture and filming, it might as well be the future of the aviation industry (Floreano & Wood, 2015). Thinking about the profound effects these unmanned crafts might have in aviation makes me want to jump to the future. Currently, companies are working on creating UAVs that can handle up to 10kg loads for delivery purposes. However, the disadvantage it could cause comes in the number of crafts that will be on air considering over 450 million drones have been sold in the world.
Considering the current estimate on the increase of passengers using planes by 4.3% per year for the next 20 years, better innovations have to be considered. Coming to think of it, the future of aviation depends on several other factors. For example, that will be the rate of population growth, will the developing nations catch up with the developed ones, how will airline models respond to the changing technology and many more. The aviation industry’s reaction to some of these factors will determine the shape of its future.
In the second part of the paper, I think I see my self after 15 or 20 years in the position that I dreamed a lot in my whole life, which is being a CEO of the airport in Muscat international airport. I have idea that it is so hard to reach that position but I will try my best to get that place by anyway because I would to improve, develop, and keep everything under control in that airport. Moreover, I have been planning for that position (CEO) since I chose this major. As I know, as the aviation industry grows on I am looking forward to develop my self in term of communication with people and dealing with them because one of the most important factor to be in a high position is communicating with people well.
First of all, I would to start my work in a different country such as Qatar or United Arab Emirates because as I said I would to get experience because my country is not like these countries in term of development in technology. So, I would try to bring the greatest idea to my country. My country (Oman) built a new airport that has great technology but it needs people that know to work in this kind of technology to develop the income to the country.
Second, nowadays I am planning and applying to do an internship in these two countries that I had mention in the summer to let me work with them after I finish studying on the summer 2019, and I hope to get this opportunity. Third, before I chose this major my big dream is studying petroleum engineering, but sometimes your dream does not come true or does not match with to what the person want. However, I considered that choosing aviation management is better than choosing petroleum because I am too bad in math and physics.
There are still a lot of milestones that the aviation industry is yet to break to think about the aviation of the future. However, with the pace innovators are coming up with new technologies, then the industry is on the right path in meeting the aerospace travel demand that will be there in the future. On the other hand, the main advantage of the innovations being developed is aimed at achieving clear skies regarding pollution. This way, each can regain its original glory before the dawn of industrialization.
