Global Scans · Aviation · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: More than half of the expected new passengers over the next two decades will originate from China, which will displace the US as the world's largest aviation market by around 2029. More than half of the expected new passengers over the next two decades will originate from China, which will displace the US as the world's largest aviation market by around 2029. Sales of consumer and prosumer drones are soaring and the Federal Aviation Authority forecasts there will be more than 1.3 million licensed drone pilots by 2020 in the U.S. alone.

• [New] Organizations such as the U.S. Air Force and NASA are putting resources into research for supersonic jets, which could speed up technological advancements in the commercial supersonic aircraft sector. Precedence Research
• [New] The military aircraft segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR of 7.4% from 2026 to 2034 due to heightened defence spending following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and NATO's call for members to allocate at least 2% of GDP to defence. Market Data Forecast
• [New] Heathrow's main roadmap assumes three key developments: continued improvements in aircraft efficiency, introduction of zero-carbon aircraft from the mid-2030s, and large-scale replacement of fossil jet fuel with SAF. Carbon Credits
• [New] Experts expect hydrogen aircraft to serve mainly short-haul routes by 2050. Carbon Credits
• [New] Private competitor Beta Technologies remains the dark horse, potentially beating Joby to the first revenue-generating cargo flights with its ALIA aircraft, which is expected to receive certification for its conventional takeoff variant earlier in 2026. FinancialContent
• [New] Earlier this week, Air Canada announced it's ordering eight Airbus A350 - 1000 wide-body aircraft as it plans to expand its non-stop flights from Canada to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia. Winnipeg Free Press
• [New] France holds a significant potential to transform supersonic aviation. Precedence Research
• [New] New York to London flights will take approximately 3.5 hours compared to 7-8 hours on regular aircraft. interbiharboard.com
• [New] From bank-led stablecoins to tokenized T-bills and AI-powered wallets, digital assets will move from pilot projects to financial plumbing in 2026. CoinDesk
• [New] The low-cost carrier expects to enter markets such as Doha, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and India as new aircraft become available. Skift
• [New] Boeing said South-east Asia, in particular, will be among the world's fastest-growing aviation markets, with passenger air traffic expected to grow by 7% a year through 2044. ST
• Europe's ReFuelEU Aviation initiative requires airlines to use a 2% SAF blend by 2025, increasing gradually to 70% by 2050. Industry EMEA
• Through the early to mid-2030s, sustainable aviation fuel will continue scaling rapidly as the primary near-term solution, leveraging compatibility with existing fleets and infrastructure. Industry EMEA
• Vertical is targeting airliner-level safety type certification for its eVTOL Valo in 2028 with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which will be followed by JCAB validation. Aerotime
• The long-anticipated arrival of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is now within reach, with commercial operations expected to commence in urban centers as early as 2026. eplaneai
• Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft are expected to complete key safety validation missions by 2026. Toborlife AI Robots - Autonomous Robots
• Vertical is targeting airliner-level safety certification for the Valo with the UK Civil Aviation Authority by 2028. eplaneai
• Currently, drone operators must obtain a waiver or exemption from FAA to fly beyond their visual line of sight and show, among other things, how they will detect and avoid other aircraft. Hstoday
• A new United States military laser-based anti-drone system led authorities to halt air traffic in and out of El Paso, Texas, after aviation officials raised serious concerns about risks to commercial aircraft. Al Jazeera

Last updated: 22 February 2026