Future of Aviation 

The future of aviation is poised for transformation with cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices. Innovations such as autonomous devices, alternative fuels, and artificial intelligence are set to reshape global mobility, enhancing efficiency and safety. These advancements will drive economic growth, create jobs, and support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As the aviation industry continues to evolve, it will play a crucial role in connecting the world while prioritizing environmental sustainability.

The Role of Mobility and Transportation

Mobility and its pillars of transport—air, inland, and maritime—are at the very center of our socio-economic fabric. They underpin social connections and facilitate access to goods and services, including trade, jobs, healthcare, and education. In today’s world, mobility by air, road, and water focuses on efficiencies, speed, interconnectivity, and accessibility for all. However, this raises sustainability concerns. The UN predicts that by 2050, two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities. How can we adapt and enhance today’s already-stretched mobility system to meet our expectations and increased demands? How can mobility be reinvigorated to be sustainable and support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

A Shared Vision for Mobility

For a start, mobility actors should come together in a shared vision. This is where the World Bank-led Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All) steps in. For the first time ever, SuM4All provides the transport sector and its modes of transport the opportunity to speak with one voice and jointly unpack a Roadmap of Actions tailored to countries and cities to implement on a voluntary basis. SuM4All includes all modes of transport, including aviation. Aviation facilitates access to countries and cities, increases multilayered efficiencies in travel, and prioritizes safety and security in travel. The aviation sector is rapidly embracing gender equality.

Innovation in Technology and Approaches

In addition, innovation in technology and approaches (e.g., by redefining efficiencies in travel) is essential to redefining mobility. Cutting-edge technology, such as autonomous devices and ultralight materials, creates opportunities to transform the mobility system by enabling new business models and mobility services. Innovations abound in aviation, such as unmanned aircraft innovations, artificial intelligence, biometrics, robotics, blockchain, alternative fuels, and electric aircraft. Aviation is ideally positioned to support the innovation discourse and its potential impacts on new mobility.

Coordination and Collaboration for Improved Mobility

The World Economic Forum proposes that deploying private sector and government innovations to address mobility challenges can contribute to an improved mobility landscape—if deployed in a coordinated and collaborative way that aims to optimize the entire transport system. Unfortunately, to date, these efforts often exacerbate transport issues by adding congestion and complexity while also creating inefficiencies between public and private modes of transport.

Showcasing Aviation Advances

The TT19 session “Innovation in Aviation = Value Added for New Mobility” will showcase how aviation advances and transforms mobility and impacts development through state-of-the-art technology, innovative solutions, and new emerging types of transportation in aviation. The “innovation in aviation” debate will demonstrate that advancements in its sector impact across industries and modes of transport. Achieving sustainable mobility will only be possible if all modes of transport work together to jointly address inefficiencies in the current transport system holistically and coordinate the implementation of innovations.

A Century of Aviation Innovation

In a little over a century, our industry has gone from learning to fly to learning to fly faster, further, and heavier planes. Today, over 100,000 commercial flights occur around the world daily, representing over 400 departures per hour. Aviation has been at the forefront of innovation, becoming one of the safest and most reliable modes of transportation.

Economic and Social Impact

The volume of air traffic is surprising to some. Aircraft take off around the world at a rate of over 400 departures per hour—only for scheduled commercial traffic. Air transport takes people and cargo worldwide, significantly impacting social and economic development and sustainability in regions.

Leveraging Technology and Best Practices

Sharing and leveraging technology and best practices from aviation and all modes of transportation will help ensure the success and sustainability of the emerging mobility sector, create public trust, and become sustainable.

The Role of ICAO

Within the 2030 Agenda framework, ICAO was identified as the custodian agency of the global indicator for Passenger and Freight Volumes, by Mode of Transport. ICAO monitors and provides data to measure states' progress in building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation.

The Expanding Aviation Industry

The air transport industry is expanding, and the future of aviation is bright. In 2017, airlines worldwide carried around 4.1 billion passengers and transported 56 million tonnes of freight on 37 million commercial flights. Every day, airplanes transport over 10 million passengers and around USD 18 billion worth of goods.

Economic Contributions

This indicates the significant economic impact of aviation on the world economy, demonstrated by the fact that aviation represents 3.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) worldwide (2.7 trillion US dollars) and has created 65 million jobs globally. Aviation provides the only rapid worldwide transportation network, generating economic growth, creating jobs, and facilitating international trade and tourism. Aviation is now recognized by the international community as an essential enabler of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Future Growth and Challenges

The aviation sector is growing fast and will continue to grow. Recent estimates suggest that demand for air transport will increase by an average of 4.3% per annum over the next 20 years. If this growth path is achieved by 2036, the air transport industry will contribute 15.5 million direct jobs and $1.5 trillion of GDP to the world economy. Once the impacts of global tourism are considered, these numbers could rise to 97.8 million jobs and $5.7 trillion in GDP.

Increasing Air Traffic

By the mid-2030s, no fewer than 200,000 flights per day are expected to take off and land worldwide. Imagine the first video again—but with twice as much traffic! These figures are dazzling and reflect a dynamic sector, which is great. And this growth is not limited to passenger traffic. Cargo traffic in terms of tonnage is expected to grow similarly.

Logistical Challenges

However, the growing demand for air traffic involves challenges, particularly the logistical implications in and around airports to ensure the infrastructure supports this growth. The main question revolves around how we can achieve growth responsibly and sustainably.

Workforce and Technological Innovations

As the industry plans to support a near doubling of passenger and cargo numbers by 2036, demand for pilots, engineers, air traffic controllers, and other aviation-related jobs is expected to rise dramatically. Innovations in technology and approaches will be needed to sustain this growth.

Increasing Accessibility

Aviation is becoming more accessible to the global population. For each country, the percentage of the population living within 100 km of an airport is increasing. Worldwide, 51% of the population lives within 100 km of an international airport, and 74% live within 100 km of any kind of airport. However, airspace is becoming congested, and air traffic is slated to double over the next two decades.

Airport Infrastructure

In addition to airspace, we must consider airports themselves. Airports are already built up around population centers and are operating at high capacity. To accommodate forecast growth, drastic improvements and efficiencies for airports and air traffic management must be found. For this, we need innovation.

Driving Force of Global Technology

Aviation is already known as a driving force of global technology development and innovations. Engines and aircraft are becoming lighter, quieter, and more efficient. Emerging technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, unmanned aircraft systems, and hybrid and electric airplanes are reshaping the industry.

Environmental Impact

Alternative fuels can significantly change the current scenario of aviation in support of environmental protection. The vast investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data could be seen as a promising way of increasing safety, efficiency, and sustainability. These technologies can help improve aviation infrastructure and airspace utilization.

Aviation's Expanding Role

Aviation is now going beyond mobility between continents and cities—it is starting to impact mobility within cities. These innovations relate primarily to moving goods for now, but they will quickly become viable for moving people as well. This wave of innovations in aviation will impact the wider transport sector and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Collaboration for a Sustainable Future

To ensure this future becomes a reality, effective communication and collaboration are essential for making the most of these innovations. The future of mobility is literally taking off!

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