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] Boom Supersonic is developing a supersonic airliner called Overture with the goal of delivering the first aircraft to customers by 2029. Ars Technica
• [New] The Federal Aviation Administration is taking a pivotal step toward enabling civil supersonic flights over the continental United States after massive innovations in supersonic technology which will make it possible to safely operate supersonic aircraft without a sonic boom. Lynnwood Times
• [New] The FAA has announced that it plans to propose separate rules later in 2026 for noise standards during take-off and landing of supersonic aircraft. AvioRadar
• [New] Agile Combat Employment training, where aircraft operate from multiple dispersed bases, addresses NATO's vulnerability in vast Arctic territories where concentrated air assets face greater risk. The Arctic Institute - Center for Circumpolar Security
• [New] Vermont-based startup Beta Technologies aims to convince US consumers that electric aviation has arrived in ways that will change how they travel for work and leisure, and invited media to ride in the state-of-the-art all-electric aircraft that it calls the Alia CX300. Business Insider
• [New] Multilingual discovery will be expanded through a new working group and roadmap, building on successful pilots in Latin America. Knowledgespeak
• [New] To deliver emissions reductions to achieve the Seventh Carbon Budget (2038 to 2042) and the 2050 Net Zero target, action needs to start now in agriculture and land use, aviation, and engineered removals. Climate Change Committee
• [New] By 2027, the companies leading the CX revolution will not just be running AI pilot programs; they will be operating seamlessly with AI at their core. CustomerContactMindXchange
• [New] C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft will support, along with reconnaissance platforms and rotary-wing aircraft. CNN
• [New] Although global sustainable aviation fuel production is expected to increase by more than 26% in 2026 compared to the previous year, it will comprise just 0.8% of jet fuel use. Oils & Fats International
• [New] Polish and Finnish pilots could operate from preexisting NATO bases that hold B61 gravity bombs. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] Both China and Russia have publicly demonstrated Unmanned Aircraft (UA) swarming concepts, and the European Union is developing a border protection tool that will operate drones in swarms. Human Rights Watch
• [New] Electra has provided a glimpse of the airliner of 2050 with its hybrid aircraft concept capable of carrying more than 100 passengers while using electrification, advanced aerodynamics, and integrated airframe-propulsion design to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. New Atlas
• [New] Amazon has secured Civil Aviation Authority permission to begin same-day drone parcel deliveries in Britain, and the CAA's Future of Flight roadmap targets routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations by 2027 - the regulatory key to UK deliveries and long-range inspections over towns and villages. North London Drone Surveys
• [New] Neither impediment will plague a new Glydways autonomous transit pilot set to be installed near the world's busiest airport by the end of 2026. Georgia Trend Magazine
• The UK's Jet Zero Strategy outlines how sustainable aviation fuels, new tech, and infrastructure will decarbonise aviation by 2050. Innovation News Network
• American Battery Technology Company has demonstrated direct recycling at pilot scale, with commercial-scale deployments expected by 2027-2028. IMARC Group
• In 2026, robotics will move from exploratory pilots to structured early adoption across the print production floor, driven by rising costs, persistent labour challenges, and growing demand for faster turnaround and 24/7 output. Automate
• Under the Economic Transition Scenario, the combined impact of fleet electrification and fuel efficiency improvements avoids 25.8m b/d of road fuel demand by 2040, four times larger than the oil displacement across aviation, marine and petrochemicals sectors combined. BloombergNEF

Last updated: 05 July 2026