Is there a revolution in flying around the corner?
Well, according to the former head of Air France, it’s not quite here yet — but, within the next 15 years, the commercial flight industry could well be seeing the first electric aircrafts.
Alexandre de Juniac is now the CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) — comprised of nearly 300 airlines across the globe, the organisation is broadly recognised as the voice of the industry.
In an interview with Business Insider Poland, De Juniac listed the trends and challenges in store for the aviation industry over the next few years.
Flight technology will see a number of technological improvements
According to the CEO, the aviation industry will see a number of changes to the technology it’s currently capable of producing.
“From a technological point of view, air transport will evolve in the direction of more fuel-efficient and quieter aircraft,” the CEO explained. “We should see the first electric aircraft in the next 15 years or so.”
Airbus has already collaborated with Rolls-Royce and Siemens to manufacture a hybrid electric plane and wants to begin commercial flights by 2025.
If we manage to figure out how to surmount the hurdles surrounding batteries, we could well see electric planes become quite standard before 2040.
Source: Business Insider