At the core of aviation competition is lightness and agility.
Just like athletes, the winner is the one who delivers same power, while being lighter and more agile.
McDonnell, Douglas, Fokker, Lockheed and Junker once were the racers who are now absent. Today, the duopoly judge in the civil aviation market; Boeing and Airbus.
Both producers are looking to make a difference by approaching the race from different angles.
Higher capacity (payload), longer range and more economical operation are unchanging basic quests.
Although these decisive factors did not change in terms of the design of the planes, the ground on which the race was conducted varied greatly.
So while the same results are expected from the athletes, the race track is changing every year.
Up to the last decade, the aviation needs were clear, but the capabilities of the industry were limited. So they were trying to improve themselves on the same race track. Because the length of the track, the pitch, and the turns were known, he was constantly shaping himself in practice. The athletes were able to take sufficient precautions because the changes were scarce and the construction changes on the track were visible.
Today it is not possible to keep the race track steady. The economic conditions, new initiatives from around the world and digitalization have made it very difficult to follow.
The straight tracks are over, now there are always sharp turns, ups and downs. It is also not possible to rely on the proportions of the old races, as these roundabouts, ridges and exits have changed the location of each race.
For example, the Airbus A380 thought that too many passengers would go to the crowded squares at the same time as they were making the design decision. Today’s trend tends to fly cheaply to idle squares of big cities. I mean, there is not much of a big slice of anticipation for now, as the cake is so divided.
Boeing 787 was focused on making long flights without interchanges. However, economies are moving towards closing down and reducing external dependence. Another unexpected turn is to upgrade existing aircraft to fly longer and with higher capacity.
Cheaper fuel creates the same effect that athletes are being offered an open buffet on each meal for the same price. They do not have to follow the nutrition budget. So there is no current difference between eating less and eating more. There are also new athletes ready to participate in the race.
In the next 10 years we will all watch the formation of the track. Like a passenger plane design, a race spanning eight to ten years of training will require different forms of work to keep pace with these changes. Almost there is now a need for a simultaneous design process with market change. So the design is going to continue actively until the aircraft is delivered.
The increased competition will surely make the race more enjoyable for the audience. So all these changes will be reflected in the passengers positively.