
As tech shapes the future of flight, here’s how investors can get on board
KEY POINTS
The airline industry is taking flight once again. Between 2004 and 2019, flights increased steadily, rising from 23.8 million to 38.9 million annual global flights. Although flights dropped to 16.9 million during the pandemic, these levels could double by the end of 2023.1
In the US, the airline industry’s recovery is well underway. Domestic leisure travel has a projected 2% growth rate in 2023 and 2024, while international inbound travel volume could yet reach 31% growth in 2023 and 18% in 2024.2
In 2023, American Airlines’ flying capacity was up 5.3% year-on-year, leading to second quarter (Q2) revenue of $14.06bn,3 while Delta Air Lines reported record Q3 operating revenue of $14.6bn.4
Amid this demand, the US airline industry is changing. Customer pressure, government incentives, and a growing awareness of environmental issues have led many in the airline industry to make carbon commitments. Meanwhile, advanced technology and robotics enhance traveller safety, security, and efficiency. These dual trends signal intriguing potential investment opportunities for today’s investors.
- {https://www.statista.com/statistics/564769/airline-industry-number-of-flights/;Statista (December 2022): Number of flights performed by the global airline industry from 2004 to 2021, with forecasts until 2023}
- {https://www.ustravel.org/press/new-travel-forecast-shows-normalizing-leisure-travel-demand-post-pandemic-surge;U.S. Travel Association (6/14/2023): New Travel Forecast Shows Normalizing of Leisure Travel Demand from Post-Pandemic Surge}
- {https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/20/american-airlines-aal-2q-2023-earnings.html;CNBC (6/20/2023): American Airlines raises 2023 profit forecast after strong second quarter}
- {https://ir.delta.com/news/news-details/2023/Delta-Air-Lines-Announces-September-Quarter-2023-Financial-Results/default.aspx;Delta (10/12/2023): Delta Air Lines Announces September Quarter 2023 Financial Results}
Sustainable aviation offers investment potential
Aviation has long contributed to global warming, as it is responsible for 2.4% of global carbon dioxide emissions5, contributes roughly 3.5% to overall climate change,6 and in the US, represents 11% of transportation-related emissions.7 But the industry could reduce its impact even as it grows.
US President Joe Biden’s recent executive actions aim to cut aviation emissions by 20% and urge the production of at least three billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuels annually by 2030.8 It’s not just governments pushing for sustainability; 40% of travellers say they will pay 2% extra for carbon-neutral flights.9
Airlines are optimising flight routes and turning to sustainable fuels. Notably, United Airlines created the Sustainable Flight Fund and invested over $100m in start-ups working on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) research,10 such as Alder Renewables. This company develops technology that uses non-food biomass sources to create Alder Renewable Crude, which can be converted into SAF.11 World Energy, the first producer of SAF, is investing $4bn to scale manufacturing until they can supply one billion gallons of SAF each year by 2030,12 while Netherlands-based SkyNRG has provided SAF solutions to over 30 airlines.13
Terminal infrastructure is becoming increasingly energy efficient. For instance, San Francisco International Airport receives 4.9 million kilowatt hours of renewable electricity annually from its solar photovoltaic installations,14 has recycled over 90% of its construction and demolition waste,15 and has shifted to all-electric fleet vehicles.16 It has also achieved a 14% reduction in energy use since 2013, reduced landfill waste by 61% compared to 2017, and lowered water use by 30% and emissions by 41% from a 1990 baseline.17
- {https://theicct.org/publication/co2-emissions-from-commercial-aviation-2018/;The International Council on Clean Transportation (9/19/2019): CO2 EMISSIONS FROM COMMERCIAL AVIATION, 2018}
- {https://research.noaa.gov/2020/09/03/aviation-is-responsible-for-35-percent-of-climate-change-study-finds/;NOAA Research (9/3/2020): Aviation is responsible for 3.5 percent of climate change, study finds}
- {https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/09/fact-sheet-biden-administration-advances-the-future-of-sustainable-fuels-in-american-aviation/;The White House (9/9/2021): FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Advances the Future of Sustainable Fuels in American Aviation}
- {https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/09/fact-sheet-biden-administration-advances-the-future-of-sustainable-fuels-in-american-aviation/;The White House (9/9/2021): FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Advances the Future of Sustainable Fuels in American Aviation}
- {https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights/accelerating-the-transition-to-net-zero-travel;McKinsey (9/20/2022): Accelerating the transition to net-zero travel}
- {https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/company/responsibility/united-airlines-ventures.html;United: United Airlines Ventures}
- {https://www.alderrenewables.com/our-technology;Alder Renewables: Our Technology}
- {https://www.worldenergy.net/;World Energy: Sustainable Aviation}
- {https://www.weforum.org/organizations/skynrg/;World Economic Forum: SkyNRG}
- {https://www.flysfo.com/sites/default/files/SFO_Zero_Net_Energy_Plan-Executive_Summary.pdf;SFO Zero Net Energy at SFO}
- {https://sustainability.flysfo.com/high-performance-buildings/;SFO Sustainability: High Performance Buildings}
- {https://sustainability.flysfo.com/electrification-transportation/;SFO Sustainability: Transportation Electrification}
- {https://sustainability.flysfo.com/electrification-transportation/;SFO Sustainability: Sustainable Travel}
Aircraft manufacturers push for innovation and investment
Airplane development and design could change in the near future, driven by technological advancements, environmental concerns, and market demands - and their promising innovations could offer significant potential return on investment (ROI) for today’s investors.
One prominent trend is the use of new aircraft materials. Carbon fibre-reinforced plastics are gaining popularity, as their lighter weight results in lower fuel consumption.18 Airbus is exploring using natural fibres, biomass carbon fibres, and bio-sourced resins,19 while Germany’s Lufthansa Technik is developing AeroFLAX, a renewable material for aircraft interiors that can reduce components’ weight by 20%.20
Companies are also developing new aircraft models. For example, Boom Supersonic hopes to make supersonic travel faster and more accessible and is developing and testing the Overture aircraft, which will be twice as fast as today’s Boeing and Airbus models.21 There has also been a push for electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, resulting in Airbus working with Renault Group to advance energy storage and management research to improve batteries for use in hybrid aircraft.22
- {https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/emerging-technologies/bio-sourced-materials-could-make-composites-greener;Aviation Week (2/13/2023): Bio-Sourced Materials Could Make Composites Greener}
- {https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/disruptive-concepts/future-materials;Airbus: Future Materials}
- {https://www.lufthansa-technik.com/en/aeroflax;Lufthansa Technik: AeroFLAX}
- {https://simpleflying.com/when-boom-supersonic-overture-will-fly/;Simple Flying (9/23/2023): When Boom Supersonic’s Overture Will 1st Fly}
- {https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/stories/2023-03-electrifying-the-sky;Airbus (3/4/2023): Electrifying the Sky}
Investment in airport security technology is rising
New technology is making securing airports and eliminating threats easier. The US Transport Security Administration (TSA) has already spent over $1.3bn on baggage scanners that rely on computed tomography technology (also known as CT scanning), which combines a series of X-ray images from different angles to create three-dimensional rotatable images of luggage, meaning travellers can leave larger electronics and liquids in their bags.23
Facial recognition tools are also on the rise and present potential investment opportunities, as they enable airports to streamline security procedures, cut wait times, and reduce identity fraud. For example, Clear’s technology allows airports to scan passengers’ boarding passes, eyes, or fingerprints in seconds and is used in over 50 airports in the US.24 Meanwhile Corsight’s facial recognition technology can identify individuals, even if they’re wearing a face mask, in low lighting, or standing at an extreme angle.25
These innovations go beyond security lines. Multilingual translation is becoming increasingly relevant in airport security and customer service. With solutions like Google Assistant’s Interpreter Mode (tested by American Airlines),26 Pocketalk (deployed in Edinburgh)27, and Google Cloud Speech API (installed by KLM at Schiphol Airport),28 airports improve communication - while investors have another potential area where they could see ROI.
- {https://www.cntraveler.com/story/with-tsas-new-bag-scanners-you-wont-need-to-remove-liquids-or-electronics-to-get-through-security;Condé Nast Traveler as of 21/04/2023}
- {https://www.clearme.com/;CLEAR: CLEAR}
- {https://www.corsight.ai/;Corsight: CORSIGHT FACIAL RECOGNITION}
- {https://news.aa.com/news/news-details/2020/American-Airlines-First-Airline-to-Test-the-Google-Assistants-Interpreter-Mode-MKG-LNGE/default.aspx;American Airlines (1/7/2020): American Airlines First Airline to Test the Google Assistant’s Interpreter Mode}
- {https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/110778/edinburgh-airport-language-translation/;International Airport Review (1/21/2020): Language translation device introduced by Edinburgh Airport}
- {https://www.translateplus.com/blog/airlines-turning-automatic-translation-better-customer-service/;Translate Plus (1/17/2018): Airlines are turning to automatic translation for better customer service}
Robotics and automation are revolutionising aviation
Automation and robotics are increasingly popular in all industries. In 2022, 41% of executives wanted to maintain their automation spend and 52% planned to increase it,29 while the number of industrial robots in the North American automotive industry grew by 30% between 2021 and 202230 – and the aviation industry is following suit.
Not only has Dubai installed Sara, a multilingual check-in robot,31 but many airlines are also automating in-flight services. We may also see robots maintaining aircraft, handling baggage, and more in the future.
Robot pilots are also on the rise. Notably, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology is working on developing PIBOT, an artificial intelligence-powered robot capable of flying unmodified airplanes.32 Additionally, the US Air Force is working with Reliable Robotics to completely automate flights, helping it to improve cargo missions without needing to train additional pilots.33 Reliable Robotics’ flight control system can automate everything from take-off to landing, uses satellite communications, high-performance computing, and precision mechanisms to allow for continuous remote operation, and features automatic braking, global voice link, and airborne detection.34
- {https://www.nintex.com/blog/the-economics-of-automation/;Nintex (9/23/2022): The Economics of Automation}
- {https://ifr.org/news/robot-sales-in-north-american-manufacturing-up-12-percent/;International Federation of Robotics: Robot Sales in North American Manufacturing up 12 Percent}
- {https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/aviation/2023/03/09/emirates-to-introduce-multilingual-check-in-robots-to-cut-travel-time/;The National News (3/9/2023): Emirates airline to introduce multilingual check-in robots to cut travel time}
- {https://www.freethink.com/robots-ai/humanoid-robot-pilot;Freethink (8/23/2023): A robot pilot is ready to fly a real plane — are you onboard?}
- {https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/usaf-to-automate-jet-transports;Interesting Engineering (2/13/2023): Autonomous flights: USAF is exploring robot planes for jet transport}
- {https://reliable.co/;Reliable Robotics: Reliable Robotics}
Traveling toward a more efficient and sustainable future
Travel technology is bringing exciting changes to the industry for travellers and investors alike thanks to the introduction and adoption of SAF, new construction materials, advanced luggage scanners, robot pilots, and more. Not only are these technologies reshaping the future of planes, airports, and aviation, but they’re also presenting investors with potential investment opportunities.
By staying informed of emerging trends, investors can navigate these uncharted skies and reap the potential rewards of this transformative era in aviation.