ABSTRACT
As the airline industry enters a new century, it must constantly adapt to new challenges. These include the world moving more and more toward a global economy, the proliferation of liberalization, the increasingly constrained aviation infrastructure, continued growth rate of air travel expected in the next 20 years, innovations resulting from emerging aircraft technology, and more recently the events of 11 September. This chapter discusses the role of aircraft technology helping the airline industry face these challenges and capitalize on opportunities. The first section deals with long-haul international markets and the role of the recently launched Airbus A3S0 and the Sonic Cruiser concept proposed by Boeing. The second section discusses the impact of regional jet aircraft in the short-and medium-haul markets. The final section discusses transportation by private aircraft-the phenomenon growth in the jet fractional ownership business as well as some novel ideas being examined for personal air transportation.
