Unconsciously, we make choices about which mode of transportation is most suitable for the distance we want to travel on a daily basis. This choice seems difficult when you consider how many options there are. You can take the train, bus, car, motorcycle, scooter, or bike. Some people have multiple cars or bikes. And walking, without any means of transportation, is also an option.
For distances between 50 and 750 kilometers, the car is usually the preferred option, with the train being a close second. And with the current polluting way of flying, there will be little desire to put aviation high on that list.
However, if you follow the developments in sustainable aviation, you will see that this is about to change. Within ten years, it will be possible to travel emission-free on distances up to 500 kilometers with electric aircraft. Thereby making an aircraft that can travel hundreds of kilometers non-stop, cross the North Sea, without emissions can suddenly become a serious option.
The technological developments required to make this form of mobility possible are advancing rapidly. Fully electric aircraft are currently being designed and built, as is the infrastructure, with the unveiling of the Maeve 01 by Maeve Aerospace as the most recent example.
However, more than just technology is needed to make emission-free flying a reality. The technical hurdles may be easier to overcome than the societal ones. The current perception that many people have of aviation does not match the developments that are taking place. The new form of aviation will be cleaner, quieter, and more accessible than ever before, thanks to the use of emission-free and quieter propulsion and the ability to operate from smaller airports. An idea that needs to take root in people's minds when they choose how to travel.
To make this type of aviation a success, it will be necessary for travellers to be aware that flying relatively short distances will become a sustainable and fast mode of transportation. Within ten years, we will see fully electric aircraft that you can travel on at our airports. And the more people choose to fly emission-free on short distances, the faster it will be possible to develop emission-free solutions for larger aircraft.
The technology will be there soon. Are you ready for it?