Aviation is the ‘real World Wide Web’

Airbus has revealed the findings of a massive global survey, which shows passengers will travel more – not less – in the future.

The Future by Airbus research, carried out among more than 1.75m people worldwide, shows passengers want more sustainable flights; less stress when travelling and more of it – despite social media revolutionising how we keep in touch.

The results show 63% of people worldwide say they will fly more by 2050; 60% do not think social media will replace the need to see people face-to-face; and 96% believe aircraft will need to be more sustainable.

Almost 40% feel air travel is becoming increasingly stressful.

Charles Champion, executive vice president, engineering at Airbus, said: ‘Aviation is the real World Wide Web.

‘The results of the survey show that there is nothing better than face-to-face contact.

‘The world is woven together by a web of flights that creates ever-expanding social and economic networks: 57m jobs, 35% of world trade, and $2.2 trillion in global GDP.’

He warned the industry must ‘work together to cut delays’ at airports, which was a major gripe among people taking part in the research.