ABSTRACT
Most innovations in aviation were probably made in the first 50 years of its development (Kroo, 2004), with the difference between the Wright Flyer (first flight in 1903) and the Boeing 707 (first flight in 1954) being much larger than between the Boeing 707 and the Airbus A380 (first flight in 2005). Current technology on the market for the civil aviation sector is in effect mature. Furthermore, the strong increase of cost and risk involved with revolutionary innovative new aircraft programmes have become prohibitive factors (Kroo, 2004). Without financial or new regulatory or economic pressures to innovate, only incremental developments are likely in the near and medium future (Bows et al, 2006, p56).
