Looking ahead

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Future of travel: these five planes could change everything

29 December 2020Canadian Aviation News

From the National News – link to source story

Patrick Ryan, Dec 29, 2020

Supersonic speeds and less fuel consumption could become the norm for air travel

The future of airline travel is set to change forever with the advent of a new era of high-powered jetliners.

Travelling further distances at higher speeds while burning less fuel has long been seen as a pipe dream for the industry – but that could all be about to change.

With travel habits expected to change, not least because of the Covid-19 pandemic, The National looked at some of the new planes that are expected to be at the forefront of the next generation of flight.

Boom Supersonic Overture

The Oregon-based company Boom Supersonic is set to release the Overture in 2026. The aircraft can fly at twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.2 but is expected to be limited to subsonic speeds of around 1,125kph over land.

It will be the first civilian supersonic jet since Concorde was retired almost 20 years ago.

The company has promised that prices would not be much higher than a typical seat in business class.

The planned interior of the Boom with a distinctive 1+1 single aisle configuration. Courtesy: Boom Supersonic

The Overture will be able to fly from Tokyo to Seattle in four and a half hours, cutting four hours off the usual time.

A trip from Los Angeles to Sydney could be completed in eight and half hours with the Overture, instead of the standard 14.5 hours.

The Overture also has a range of 8,300 km.

Maveric by Airbus

The suggestion that Airbus has created a plane that looks like it belongs in a futuristic version of Top Gun will not be allayed by its name – Maveric (Model Aircraft for Validation and Experimentation of Robust Innovative Controls).

The plane, which is 2 metres long and 3.2 metres wide, has the potential to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent in comparison to current single-aisle aircraft.

The Maveric is designed to hold hundreds of people but experts predict we could have to wait until 2035 before we see aircraft using this design in regular use.

It is currently in the development phase but a remote controlled prototype took flight for the first time in June last year.

The “blended wing body” opens up new possibilities for propulsion systems as well as resembling a giant bat.

“Airbus is leveraging emerging technologies to pioneer the future of flight. By testing disruptive aircraft configurations, Airbus is able to evaluate their potential as viable future products,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, executive vice president of engineering with Airbus.

“Although there is no specific time line for entry-into-service, this technological demonstrator could be instrumental in bringing about change in commercial aircraft architectures for an environmentally sustainable future for the aviation industry.”

Airbus A220-500

The Airbus A220-500 is expected to make travelling in economy class a whole lot more comfortable.

Expected to be released in the second half of this decade, the A220-500 boasts seats at least 46cm wide, has a 2×3 seating layout, and can hold 150 passengers – a significant increase from the existing A220s, which hold 100.

The new model also offers larger windows as well as spacious overhead lockers for storage.

The A220-500 will consume less fuel than other regional planes, which will make shorter flights more appealing to environmentally conscious passengers.

Boeing 777X

Boeing claims its new 777X will be the “world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet, unmatched in every aspect of performance”.

Lufthansa will launch the jet into service in 2022, two years after it was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Inside the Boeing 777X. Courtesy: Boeing

The 777X will carry between 384 and 426 passengers in a multi-class layout.

The aircraft will also feature dimmable windows, wider cabins and bigger sized overhead lockers.

Expect to see this plane become a regular feature at Dubai International Airport as Emirates has ordered 150 777Xs, worth more than $83 billion. The aircraft are expected to seat 426 passengers and has a range of 13,500 km.

Airbus A321XLR

Airbus’ A321XLR will be able to fly just under 8,700km nonstop. A third fuel tank means it can fly for up to 10 hours without needing to refuel – which is almost double that of other narrow bodied planes.

Airbus also claims the aircraft, which is expected to be released in 2023, operates with a 30 per cent reduction in fuel burn per seat.

The A321XLR has a top speed of 876kph.Updated: December 29, 2020 04:08 PM

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The 321XLR is the closest that Airbus has come to producing a 757.

The sooner that Airbus commits to the 220-500 the better. It will compete with the 320NEO but will be attractive to current and future 220-100/300 customers. Airbus should also incorporate A220 technology in to the 320/330 fleets.

The 777X is facing a huge uphill battle to becoming a commercially viable platform for Boeing. The days of 400+ humans packing themselves inside a hull for 16 hours seem to be more in the rear view mirror.