No doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a technological advancement in the aviation industry. Given that air travel and overall aviation industry was affected in the previous year, the role of new technologies in revolutionizing air travel, cargo sector, global advancements in sustainability and autonomous transportation, in addition to new space services, satellite connectivity and much more, will play a vital role.
For this reason, many airlines have adopted innovative technology to maximize comfort and improve the travel experience. That said, here are some emerging trends in the aviation industry.
The big Move towards Sustainability
For some time now, the aviation industry has been experiencing the need for an eco-friendlier approach to air travel. Although leveraging sustainable approaches may require extensive research and development, fortunately manufacturers are creating more fuel-efficient aircraft frames, leveraging lighter materials, aerodynamic design changes, and alternative fuel sources.
Furthermore, aviation industry is demonstrating advancements in sustainability by reducing and eliminating emissions from aircraft ground operations in in the following areas: electric ground power units, electric passenger coach transportation, recycling and waste management. There are innovative changes beyond carbon reduction, new cabin crew and pilot uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles.
Cryptocurrency as a Payment Option
With Starbucks and Microsoft now accepting Bitcoin as a payment, should the travel industry be doing the same? Despite the fact, it is not yet legalized in the aviation sector, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies show tremendous potential. The aviation industry loves innovative technology and will adopt those that show great promise. Leveraging this innovative payment option could make flight bookings easier since cryptocurrency payments are faster and incur fewer transaction costs as compared to credit card payments.
Contactless technology
The trend for a contactless passenger experience in airports has been underway for a number of years already, but the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly accelerated the adoption of contactless technology. The contactless experience has also reinforced changes to the way people shop at the airport terminal. The “Just Walk Out” technology offers shoppers an innovative and contactless walk-through experience that allows travelers to shop safely and contactless.
Digital health passports
The concept of health or immunity passports is not new, and has, indeed, been around for some time. The CommonPass project was established in 2019 after a partnership between the Common Project, a coalition of private and public partners, and the World Economic Forum. This platform verifies vaccination records and lab results by encouraging passengers to upload their results to their mobile phones. The COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to challenge the aviation industry, but the efforts that have been and continue to be made in terms of technology, like advanced self-service and biometrics, robotics & automation give hope for an optimistic.
