Global aviation leaders gather in Dubai to discuss future of air travel at inaugural Aviation Future Week

The inaugural Aviation Future Week (AFW), organised by Emirates Airline and the Museum of the Future, commenced today, bringing together global aviation leaders, industry experts, and innovators to discuss the future of the industry. 

Running from 15-17 October, the event provides a high-powered platform to explore how the future of aviation is being shaped around the passenger experience. It also spotlights innovative solutions to global operational challenges in the industry by leveraging emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). 

Speaking on the occasion of the event, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said: “Dubai has a thriving aviation and tech ecosystem, which creates the ideal environment to nurture innovation in aviation, particularly through emerging technologies like AI. Aviation Future Week addresses vital issues including the enormous impact of aviation on global mobility and prosperity, and the critical role of technology in mitigating industry challenges. The insightful discussions, diverse perspectives and viable use cases over the next three days will serve as a springboard for envisioning a better future for the industry.”

The first day of the event was attended by prominent leaders in the aerospace industry. The gathering of the industry’s elite underscored the event’s role as a key platform for innovation and strategic partnerships.

In a fireside chat on, ‘How Dubai is Setting Future Trends in Aviation and Logistics’, His Excellency Khalfan Juma Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), emphasised Dubai’s pivotal role in shaping the future of aviation.

HE Belhoul said Dubai has the knowledge, experience and innovation-first mindset to leverage advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to stay ahead of the wave of disruption coming to the aviation, cargo and logistics and transportation sectors.

Addressing a full audience, HE Belhoul said: “Aviation will be disrupted top-down – whether it’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), logistics and cargo or leveraging AI to enhance the customer journey, it will be driven by the agility of decision-makers and a willingness to accept new ideas. 

“That’s the edge that the UAE has. We have leaders who are willing to take risks, leaders that tell you that the biggest risk is not to take a risk. That puts the UAE at the cutting-edge of innovation in the aviation sector.” 

He added that the “flexibility of data sharing” is a major challenge facing the future of the aviation industry which Dubai is in a strong position to navigate given the diversity of data sets at the UAE’s disposal.

He also highlighted DFF’s efforts to support innovation across the aviation sector, noting that the three “megatrends” shaping people’s daily lives, namely of quantum computing, AI and robotics, will also irreversibly reshape the aviation sector. 

HE Belhoul added that the Museum of the Future was designed to deliver not only a future-focused experience for visitors, but also offer a stage for critical dialogue on the future, and a meeting point for innovators from across the world to shape the future.

During a session titled ‘Balancing Traffic Demand with Innovative Passenger Solutions and Elevated On-ground Experiences’, Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary General of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) called for the industry to balance the need to enhance the passenger journey with the continued growth in demand for air travel in the Middle East and beyond. 

Referencing the model pioneered by Emirates Airline, Teffaha told the audience at Aviation Future Week: “This group of pioneers and leaders have reshaped the aviation industry and created new models. As well as carrying people safely and securely, it’s about promoting your country and creating a new paradigm that will not only contribute to the growth of the airline but also to the sustainable economic development and growth of your country, creating jobs, to reflect the global DNA of the aviation industry.”

He went on to note that, “the future of aviation and its continued growth, as major economic lever and job creator, is not linearly guaranteed. This is an industry that always deals with crises – irrespective of where they take place. 

“To equip airlines to continue to draw opportunities for growth,” Teffaha said, “the industry needs to address three key challenges: first, the industry needs to stay abreast of technological advancements in the digital era to provide hassle-free journeys; second, it needs to transition from a centralised system into an open, decentralised system to treat the customer as an individual with unique needs; and third, the aviation industry needs to address its contribution to climate change.”

In a session on ‘Optimising Traffic Demand in a Constrained Environment’, Adel Al Redha, Deputy President & Chief Operations Officer of Emirates Airline; Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of Flydubai; Tony Whitby, Director Network and Strategy at Air Arabia; and Wouter van Wersch, Executive Vice President of Airbus International, explored the increasing role of low-cost carriers and narrowbody aircraft in regional connectivity and alleviating capacity constraints. 

Al Redha highlighted the sector’s growth, saying: “The biggest challenge will be aircraft and supplier ability to meet the demand.” 

Van Wersch echoed the sentiment and referred to the aircraft manufacturer’s recent Global Services Forecast (2024-2043), which expects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% over the next three years, slowing to 3.6% over the next two decades. He said the global market expansion will be driven by the growing middle class and activity in the Middle East, despite a plateau in Europe. Van Wersch said the current aircraft supply will double to 48,000 globally by 2043, while the Middle East will see growth from 1,300 passenger and freight aircraft to 3,700.

Al Ghaith said flydubai will continue to explore unserved destinations to unlock potential, while Whitby said Air Arabia is looking into longer range markets. 

The session titled “Enhancing the Airport Experience through Adapting Infrastructure Changes and Leveraging Technology” was joined by His Excellency Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation; Nicolas Vandable, Head of Airlines Relations, Projects & Development, and Director Smart Airport Programs at Paris-CDG Airport; Ayman AboAbah, CEO of Riyadh Airports Company; and Omar Binadai, Chief Technology and Infrastructure Officer at Dubai Airports.

The speakers looked at how airport infrastructure and customer touchpoints are modernising with the next wave of futuristic technologies. Participants agreed that collaboration with all stakeholders is crucial to developing agile regulatory frameworks that allow airport operators the freedom to leverage and deploy technologies like biometrics to improve the customer journey, while ensuring the utmost safety, security and privacy of their data. 

“The Future of Cabin Features and Onboard Communications” session featured Dr. Mark Hiller, CEO of Recaro; Niels Steenstrup, CEO for In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity at Thales; Ken Sain, CEO of Panasonic Avionics; Brian Simone, Senior Director of Commercial Aviation of ViaSat; and Anthony Vaughan, Executive Vice President for Engineering at Safran Cabin. The session shared visions of what aircraft cabins could look like in the future and examined the latest communication technologies being used to enhance the on-board passenger experience. 

Recaro’s Hiller said, “Innovation is not an option; it’s an obligation.” The company’s biggest development in this space has been to reduce the weight of seats, matching technology with compliance, which improves the sustainability of the sector. 

On sustainability, Thales’s Niels Steenstrup said he is excited for travellers to experience the displays on the A350, which are EEE compliant – 80% or better recyclable and reusable. 

Ken Sain of Panasonic Avionics said the trend towards carbon neutrality presents an opportunity to explore modular and upgradeable system architecture to keep pace with consumer demand. 

AFW takes place from 15-17 October 2024 with the participation of UAE government ministers, senior government officials, executives from the aviation industry as well as leaders in the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and logistics spaces. A platform to showcase visions for the future of aviation, the international event provides an open forum to discuss future challenges and opportunities, including the passenger experience, meeting growing demand, enhancing logistics and air cargo, and integrating AI in aviation.