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The Future Of Air Travel Looks Good, By Airbus

by Chris Owen (RSS feed) on Jul 14th 2012 at 3:00PM

The future of air travel can be defined in a number of ways. Right now more legroom, lower fares and a muzzle on barking luggage fees would be nice. But what will air travelers want and need in the future?

Aircraft manufacturers have to consider factors ranging from environmental concerns to building long-term business relationships, pitting face-to-face meetings (increasing demand for air) vs. communication via social media platforms (no air needed). Add in sourcing better, lighter building materials, fuel for new engines, and using cost-efficient construction techniques not invented yet and things can get confusing.

To help make sense of it all Airbus put together an infographic (below) that considers these factors and more as well as an ebook, "The Future By Airbus," that provides some direction.

Airbus began looking to the next 40-plus years in 2010, seeking out other industry stakeholders and experts to anticipate the global needs of a better-connected and more sustainable world.

So what does the future bring? Well, there's an app for that too.

Researching the world's changing population, the Airbus Concept Cabin app shows what the future of flight might look like from the passengers' perspective. The idea is that aircraft cabins of the future will be customized to the needs of individual passengers.

We see no mention of any concerns about legroom or baggage fees in the future. Now that's something to look forward to.