Make your predictions heard.

Standing tickets?
25 hours flight non-stop?
All ground and flight crew outsourced?
Supersonic aircraft airborne again?

Chime in.

25 years older than before.

Any point in the globe can be reached with a non stop flight


Won’t see flights over 20 hours as you’re half way around by then !


Supersonic civil aircraft will be
operating across oceans again at
a minimum


One pilot large freighters are possible with pilotless on the horizon as will passenger aircraft

A lot more automation on the ground. Virtually nothing we now do with manpower is necessary with automation. Injuries and aircraft damage will be greatly reduced.

Like a big Tylenol!

Consolidation will continue until and unless governments decide to stop it. For many countries, that will mean a single major carrier. For the US, I predict we'll drop to two legacy carriers, who will also gobble up most (if not all) of the LCC's.

Delta's newest plane will roll off the production line this year.

The legendary DC-3 will be one century old.

A successor to the A350 will be under study at Airbus.

There will be a lot of 797s in service with the majors.

Fed Ex will be in talks with Boeing for a 767 replacement.

DXB will be handling over 100 millions pax a year.

Southwest and Ryanair will still be "all-737" airlines.

ATL will still be a super mega hub for Delta.

The first few 787s dating from the early 2010s will be scrapped.

There could be a Delta 717 or MD-88 preserved inside an aviation museum.

One day that I buy a coke can wherever I am I will be thinking: "That metal used to build the can probably came from an old 767 resting in peace in the desert".

Topics that we will likely see on a.net in the 2040s will be:
-Any passengers 747s still flying?
-Will Boeing announce a 787 replacement anytime soon?
-A380 final flight.

We'll see an aviation magazine at a local newsstand: "Boeing 767 at 60." or "Airbus A320 at 60."

It will entirely depend whether there is a technological breakthrough in the energy density storage of electricity.
There is every indication that a X2 'breakthrough' will occur in the next 3-5 years (solid metal batteries).These will transform the automobile industry.But there will needs be a bigger leap in energy density to really change the aircaft industry to all electric..
However.....
Such (X2) storage devices will lead to electric aircraft for flights up to 400 -500 odd miles.
Hybrid aircaft using electrical power on t/o and landing and as such transforming airports and the lives of those around them.
The unions will lose out and finally one pilot operation will become the norm it should have been years ago (except here of course)
There will be a cute little aircraft site wishing to bring back the 757.

The successor of the greatest superior general Kim Jong Un visit Palm Beach via his Tu 204

-LCCs will rule the world
-some super long twin to replace the 747 and a380
-more and more cities having 2 airports
-Airlines that were known for their luxury will be forced to reduce costs (looking at you, BA)

25 years from now … well:

Boeing launches 737 MAX-11, one inch bigger wheels, two inches wider emergency exits, five feet longer fuselage, 260 pax at 25" seat pitch.

Airbus demonstrates at Paris Air Show new "advanced technology" lavatory and galley to add one more seat row in A320.

Super lightweight, ultra-foldable carbon fiber chairs to be used at security queues on sale at tax free for €999.99. Fits, when folded, in a phone pocket in you carry-on bag.

Hi Fly has become the largest airliner operator in Europe. They are testing flat screen displays covering the vertical tail to show which airline they operate for today.

Few "airlines" still operate planes. Most operate a web site only, and when they know the number of tickets sold for a departure, then they order an appropriately sized plane from an ACMI provider to operate the flight.

Seat allocation only at the gate. Either with own app max 2 hr. before departure (€50), or automatically when boarding.

3rd runway at LHR was recently postponed another five years until 2048.

BER has opened. An Australian company named "Airport Consult Inc" has been ordered to investigate temporary changes needed to bring BER traffic flow up to specs. Especially baggage handling breaks down all the time. It is from last century, and spares are not available any longer. It cannot be exchanged with a new system until 2050 when the new terminal is opened.

prebennorholm wrote:

25 years from now … well:

Boeing launches 737 MAX-11, one inch bigger wheels, two inches wider emergency exits, five feet longer fuselage, 260 pax at 25" seat pitch.

Airbus demonstrates at Paris Air Show new "advanced technology" lavatory and galley to add one more seat row in A320.

Super lightweight, ultra-foldable carbon fiber chairs to be used at security queues on sale at tax free for €999.99. Fits, when folded, in a phone pocket in you carry-on bag.

Hi Fly has become the largest airliner operator in Europe. They are testing flat screen displays covering the vertical tail to show which airline they operate for today.

Few "airlines" still operate planes. Most operate a web site only, and when they know the number of tickets sold for a departure, then they order an appropriately sized plane from an ACMI provider to operate the flight.

Seat allocation only at the gate. Either with own app max 2 hr. before departure (€50), or automatically when boarding.

3rd runway at LHR was recently postponed another five years until 2048.

BER has opened. An Australian company named "Airport Consult Inc" has been ordered to investigate temporary changes needed to bring BER traffic flow up to specs. Especially baggage handling breaks down all the time. It is from last century, and spares are not available any longer. It cannot be exchanged with a new system until 2050 when the new terminal is opened.

It's almost scary how plausible I can see some of this being.

-Only eurowhite liveries left
-Every airline that has 777s now configure it with 3-4-3 as a standard
-Low cost airlines are the only remaining ones
-Airlines are phasing out business class

prebennorholm wrote:

Hi Fly has become the largest airliner operator in Europe. They are testing flat screen displays covering the vertical tail to show which airline they operate for today.

Few "airlines" still operate planes. Most operate a web site only, and when they know the number of tickets sold for a departure, then they order an appropriately sized plane from an ACMI provider to operate the flight.

very clever.
I believe electro-pigmented surface features are feasible today, on the vstab and fuselage, and many ACMI craft could operate "just in time" for all the virtual airlines (Amazon, Alibaba, Taobao) out there, as you've suggested. Given the mass of people accepting of Air Asia, EasyJet, Ryan, Spirit - its hard they wouldn't be even more enthused about todays "virtual brands".

- Airport capacities will double because of technology innovations that allow aircraft to get closer together in the air. (Think RVSM x2)
- VOR's will be a thing of the past.
- All aircraft are RNAV capable.
- Finally, construction of ORD's 37th runway will be completed.

My predictions :

Babies born at the line outside the LCC terminals will be celebrating 10 years living in the line, moving slowly towards the gate.

All the aircrafts around the world will have Eurowhite livery, no IFE, no food, no seats. Just a long metal bar across the fuselage where the standing passengers will grab with one hand while the other hand is for the luggage ( you know, the luggage compartiment is now used for paying freight ).

This year, Rolls Royce finally found and solved all the 787´s engine problems and the affected airlines are starting to normalize operations.

Just my two cents...

Rgds.
G.

One thing that won't change: complaints from A.netters whenever they change liveries.

More mergers and consolidation brings the USA to three airlines: one network carrier (Delta), one LCC (Southwest), and one ULCC (Spirit)

A 4th major airport for NYC emerges

AUS becomes an airline hub

Boeing and Airbus announce 787 and A350 successors, respectively

Boeing ramps up production of the 737-Ultimate, the successor for the 737-MAX

Premium economy evolves lie flats and becomes as luxurious as today's business class. This opens the door for a new class, called Economy Extra, to emerge offering a slightly bigger seat with extra legroom and extra recline.

Security screening machines become capable of distinguishing safe liquids from dangerous ones, ending liquid restrictions for those with Pre-Check.

DL will be talking about retiring their 717s but will then postpone it for 5 more years

WN complains that the 737 replacement is too different from the 737

Ryanair rolls out standing seats and fares based on passenger's weight

NK is the largest carrier in the US

777-X with one lavatory is introduced into service

Austin787 wrote:

Boeing ramps up production of the 737-Ultimate, the successor for the 737-MAX.

Woah there. Let's not get hasty. Penultimate.