With the arrival of Generative AI in 2023, the technology has surged to the top of airport and airline agendas, with 97 percent of airlines planning a program to develop the technology. This has taken the limelight away from Metaverse, which was the focus for 2022.
Similarly, Urban Air Mobility has seen surging interest from airlines and airports, with the first flights due to take off in 2024. As a result, investment in the space across all stakeholders (including OEM, infrastructure, and systems) is projected to accelerate from US$5 billion in 2022 to US$28 billion in 2030.
These were some key findings of the specialist firm in air transport communications and information technology, SITA’s updated ‘Meet the Megatrends’ report, highlighting the industry’s rapidly changing innovation landscape. The report examines 12 emerging technological, societal, traveler, and economic trends that will significantly morph the travel landscape by 2033.
While some megatrends identified in 2022 have witnessed rapid growth in the last 12 months, others also continued to develop, including Digital Travel, with the emergence of digital identities. According to SITA’s 2023 Air Transport IT Insights, by the end of 2026, 82 percent of airlines will use biometric-enabled digital identity technologies for aircraft boarding, a further 67 percent confirmed using touchless and 50 percent single token.
New data from SITA’s 2023 IT Insights shows that 86 percent of airlines are collaborating with innovation partners to make advancements in AI, machine learning, and computer vision. 39 percent of these have already been implemented, while another 47 percent confirmed plans by the end of 2026. Only three percent of airlines stated having no plans to invest in AI technologies. In comparison, 97 percent confirmed major programmes and Research & Development. Looking at airports, 16 percent of airports already use AI and ML for improved decision-making, with another 51 percent confirming plans to implement such solutions by the end of 2026.
Increased demand for short-range routes, advances in batteries and electric propulsion systems, and the increasing efforts to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint and operational costs have all contributed to the UAM transportation sector’s impressive growth in 2023. Taking to the air rather than the road may soon be possible in Paris: an electric air taxi service is in the pipeline and could be launched during the 2024 Olympic Games.
