Technologies such as supersonic flight, unmanned robotic aircraft and even flapping wings are poised to reshape the way we fly.
DailyMail.com spoke to travel experts about how air travel will revolutionize the coming decades.
Some of these technologies – such as the rebirth of supersonic aircraft – are now almost in the testing phase, others rely on more futuristic technologies that will evolve this century.
Supersonic aircraft will reduce travel times
Supersonic planes will take to the skies faster than you think (Midjourney/Rob Waugh)
Supersonic aircraft will return to the world’s skies, dramatically reducing travel times, predicts former pilot and Panache Cruises non-executive director Andrew Hayward.
Companies such as Boom Technology aim to create supersonic passenger planes that can carry 88 passengers at a speed of 2,100 km/h.
Hayward says: ‘Key developments will include ducted fan engines (lower emissions), truss-braced wings (more efficient), the use of more composite materials (weight savings) and the reintroduction of supersonic travel.
Aircraft with bird-like wings
The plane of the future could flap its wings like birds (Midjourney/Rob Waugh)
The aircraft of the future will have shape memory pneumatic alloy wings that will flap like real birds, reducing fuel consumption and flying more efficiently.
Travel expert Sarah Murphy, founder of Explore More NC, told DailyMail.com: ‘When we talk about design, we are getting closer to an approach where our planes adapt to the sky, just like birds do.
‘Advances in shape memory alloys and pneumatic actuators have made changing wings more than just a concept (yes, I’m a bit of a bookworm when it comes to birds).
‘These adaptive wings provide countless benefits, from improving flight performance to achieving remarkable fuel savings and emissions reductions.
‘It’s as if Mother Nature herself has provided us with a blueprint for smarter and more sustainable flying.’
Air taxis and floating cars in every city
Air taxis will become a fixture in the urban landscape (Midjourney/Rob Waugh)
Floating vehicles will fly through the skies in cities, making traffic jams a thing of the past, says travel expert Sarah Murphy, founder of Explore More NC.
Murphy: ‘As for the concept of Urban Air Mobility, it is not just a pipe dream. The dream has always been a near future in which electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft are an everyday reality.
‘These agile vehicles are poised to transform the way we move through our cities, enabling point-to-point travel that cuts through the chaos of urban congestion. Say goodbye to the hours lost in traffic; Soon you could take off from a rooftop near you to reach another part of town or even a completely different city.
These developments herald a period of transformation for aviation, one in which advanced technology is combined with inspired natural designs. The sky, it turns out, is not the limit.
Electric planes will be like floating airport lounges
Electric planes could have VERY luxurious interiors (Midjourney/Rob Waugh)
Electric planes will become more like floating airport lounges, says Liz Ho, founder of travel website Camping Guidance.
Instead of cramped interiors, some electric planes will be luxurious and offer restaurants and areas to relax, Ho believes.
Airplanes could even have virtual reality gyms, where passengers can (for example) climb the Himalayas.
Airplane interiors could even offer sit-down restaurants and vape lounges to entice passengers.
She says: ‘Electric aircraft will become an everyday reality sooner than we think. We can make the seemingly impossible possible.’
Hydrogen-powered planes will take to the skies
Hydrogen-powered planes could revolutionize transportation (Midjourney/Rob Waugh)
Hydrogen-powered aircraft and those powered by carbon-negative biofuels will be a big part of the future of aviation, says Travel Spock’s Carl Broadbent.
Spock said, “The airline industry is at a crossroads; With growing demand and sky-high fuel prices, it is time to make the switch to sustainability.
‘It’s not just about making air travel greener; it’s about making it viable for the long term. We have congested airspace and overcrowded airports, and the question on everyone’s mind is how we can keep it all going without destroying the planet.