The era of large aircraft has passed

The future of the aviation sector: Farewell to first class and hello to private jets

The room will accommodate more small planes that do not exceed 200 seats.

From the source

Aircraft have tended to reduce the use of long-haul aircraft and first class seats due to restrictions imposed on international commercial flights, as wealthy travelers prefer private jets.

So have we come close to ordering private jets through flight-sharing apps like Uber?

In recent months, airports have been crowded with long-distance aircraft parked unused, and this represents the end of it, in the opinion of some experts, for example, British Airways began to take its Boeing 747 aircraft out of service, which constitutes 10% of its fleet.

Virgin Australia has turned to the smaller Boeing 737 aircraft, and long-haul travelers prefer Qantas Airlines.

Previous economic crises have led airlines to turn away from large commercial aircraft, as a Reuters analysis of sales data for Airbus and Boeing over the past 20 years showed that the demand for large aircraft has decreased compared to the demand for small aircraft.

This indicates that the recession caused by the "Covid-19" pandemic is no exception.

And Bombardier Transport has already begun to rely on small private jets that always survive these crises.

Dirk-Martin Molinard, a member of the board of directors of BCG Consulting, spoke about the future of air transportation during his interview with Bloomberg, and said that air transport is moving towards smaller aircraft, reducing destinations and increasing prices.

Several companies have also begun to reduce or eliminate the number of first-class seats, which has increased the demand for private jets and charter flights, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The CEO of the Centennial Jet Private Jets Company told the New York Times that 75% of his company's customers during the "Covid-19" pandemic were individuals and families, compared to 40% in previous periods.

An expert in the field of private aircraft said that personal flights were a major reason for the strength of the private aviation sector compared to commercial flights, and if companies succeeded in retaining these customers, the private transport sector would continue to develop.

This could lead to the emergence of companies that offer small private jets and helicopters, such as Uber.

For example, the UK-based helicopter services company, Apollo Air Services, opened a new branch in Cambridge to meet the increasing demands.

Blade announced it would provide services to frequent travelers between New York and the Hamptons.

Small businesses are experimenting with different payment models, such as prepaid services.

Growth in this sector will begin when these experiments produce simple payment and pricing models and well-known brands that resemble the Uber model for cars.

The increased demand for small aircraft may be in support of electric aircraft that rely on batteries and electric motors, which are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional aircraft.

Several startups and major companies, such as Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Siemens and Uber are working to develop electric aircraft for commercial use.

Long distances constitute a hindrance to the development of this technology, as the range of the most powerful electric aircraft currently does not exceed about 160 kilometers and its payload does not exceed four people. Therefore, it may represent a suitable option for short trips until its development is complete.

On the other hand, there are startups seeking to develop supersonic jets that cut long flights in less time, which is suitable for wealthy travelers.

Airlines are afraid that commercial flights will not fully recover, especially the demand for first-class and business-class seats, if the companies are convinced that online meetings replace their traditional meetings that gather their employees from far-flung countries.

David Fekling, Bloomberg opinion columnist, believes that low-cost airlines, which provide basic service without luxuries, and charge extra for meals and luggage, will dominate the future of air transportation, along with government-owned companies that provide long-haul flights, such as « Emirates Airlines »and the Singapore Airlines.

A survey of more than 50 major companies in this sector showed that they expect the recovery of domestic flights to be faster than international flights, indicating that the era of large aircraft has passed, and that the field will expand more for small aircraft with a capacity of no more than 200 seats.

Air transport is moving towards smaller aircraft, reducing destinations, and increasing prices.

The range of the most powerful electric aircraft is currently no more than 160 kilometers, and its payload does not exceed four people.

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