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Featured Futurist: The Future of Air Travel 2050, Netflights
The world of aviation and travel is changing, it's getting faster, more autonomous, more entertaining, more personalised, and more sustainable for starters.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2020) 'Featured Futurist: The Future of Air Travel 2050, Netflights', 311 Institute, 13 April. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/featured-futurist-the-future-of-air-travel-2050-netflights/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Firstly, thank you to Yolanda and the team at Netflights for asking me to contribute to their Future of Air Travel 2050 paper, the reality of which I’m very much looking forward to realising as I sit here waiting to board an eleven hour flight on a Boeing 787 out of Chicago.
As we continue to see every sector be transformed by technology as I’ve discussed before the aviation industry isn’t immune. Not only is the sector facing new forms of disruption in the shape of new Mach 1 and even Mach 3 trains like the Hyperloop, as well as new developments in Mach 27 rocket travel that could get you from one side of the planet to the other in just 45 minutes, but it could also be disrupted by the emergence of autonomous hotel rooms. Yes, you heard that last one right.
Despite all these external disruptions though the sector will be fighting back with the emergence of new supersonic and stunning hypersonic aircraft concepts, and we’ll continue to see the electrification of aircraft and the emergence of fully autonomous aircraft that fly themselves.
And as for what the interior cabin experiences might look like, well, read the paper, but sensors will sense your mood and wellness, and adjust the cabins accordingly, the windows will be replaced by high definition displays and skins, and entertainment will be on tap courtesy of ultra-fast connectivity provided by swarms of low earth orbit satellites and virtual reality and augmented reality smart contact lenses - after all VR headsets are so 2030’s.
Source: Netflights
What this means for your organisation
Rivals come from outside aviation.
Very fast trains and rocket travel could compete on long routes. Even self driving hotel rooms could replace some short trips. Airlines should map threats beyond other carriers.
Aircraft will change shape and power.
Electric, autonomous, supersonic and hypersonic designs are all in development. Fleet decisions made now must allow for these shifts. Leaders should keep fleet plans flexible.
The cabin becomes personal.
Sensors that read mood and wellness could adjust each seat. Displays and fast satellite links would turn flights into connected experiences. Airlines that own that data will own the customer.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which non-airline rivals could take our passengers by 2050?
- How flexible are our fleet plans if propulsion changes?
- What would we do with mood and wellness data from cabin sensors?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The world of aviation and travel is changing, it's getting faster, more autonomous, more entertaining, more personalised, and more sustainable for starters.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Netflights netflights.com
- Future of flying netflights.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 13 April 2020. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2020). Featured Futurist: The Future of Air Travel 2050, Netflights. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/featured-futurist-the-future-of-air-travel-2050-netflights/
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