✈ The introduction of 5G to the Aviation Industry ✈

The Aviation Industry has been growing broadly during the past few decades. If we reflect back to 5 years from now, flying in an airplane had a common feeling of curiosity and aerophobia. However, air transportation has become a common mode of travel. At the same time connectivity used in the industry has evolved to ensure safer flights, efficient operation, and hassle-free travel experience. 

The need for faster connectivity was mainly due to passengers spending a lot of time at the airports. From my experience averagely a passenger spends over 3 hours in an airport and this figure may even increase to 4 hours if the passenger is scheduled for a connecting flight. This made traveling experience a little concerning.

The use of 5G in the aviation industry will be utilized in many aspects, some of them are,

• High-quality content for VR
• High-end simulation for flight training
• Wireless temperature sensors 
• AR headsets
• Efficient luggage tracking with the use of biometric passenger verification 
• High definition in-flight entertainment.

So through this airlines can harvest more data, efficiently from their respective aircraft. This information gathered will need to be analyzed and collated by the respective airlines. However, this allows airline operations to be much more efficient. 

The implementation of 5G has also allowed airlines to collaborate with Mobile Network Operators, to enhance the travel experience for passengers. This relationship with Mobile Network Operators has allowed passengers to experience inflight activity at lower or no cost at all. Operationally the use of 5G will allow gathering data at higher speeds, which also allows sharing more in-flight information with other aircraft, ground teams, and air traffic management, creating a safer and efficient atmosphere for air travel. Therefore, this can make airlines as well as airports more efficient. And it will also be able to attract more tourists to the country. So it is clear with the above facts that this has the potential to improve the tourism industry.

Difference between Wide body and Narrow body Aircraft explained!

The structure of the aircraft is really important. Basically the structure is divided in to two parts.

1. Narrow Body Aircraft.
2. Wide Body Aircraft.

lets see what is the deferent between these two types.

1.Narrow Body Aircraft.

A narrow-body aircraft  is an airliner arranged along a single aisle permitting up to 6 abreast seating in a cabin below 13 feet (4 meters) of width. In contrast, a wide body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with multiple aisles and a fuselage diameter of more than 16 feet (5 meters) allowing at least seven abreast seating. In the narrow bodied aircraft we can load only limited amount of cargo.

So there are some disadvantages in narrow body aircraft. what are they?

• There is not much room to move around. With only one aisle, walking space is very limited. In addition, during meal services, this can lead to difficulty in terms of navigating to a lavatory.

• Cabin crew may have issues, as narrow bodies do not allow for crew rests. Airlines may block off a portion of seats, or flight attendants may be restricted to the galley during flight. Ultimately, this could lead to some discomfort for the cabin crew.

Narrow Body Aircraft interior

2. Wide Body Aircraft

A wide body aircraft is a jet airliner having a fuselage wide enough to accommodate two passenger aisles, it is also known as twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is 5 to 6 meters. In the normal wide body economy class cabin passengers are seated 7 to 10 abreast allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers. The largest wide body aircraft are over 6 meters (20 ft.) wide. In the wide bodied aircraft we can load a higher amount of cargo to the aircraft. 

Wide Body Aircraft interior

Are there any disadvantages in wide body aircrafts?

Yes, When more people onboard, it can take much time for all passengers to disembark. For passengers who disembark last, this can mean longer lines at immigration and the baggage claim.

Which is better?

In my point of view many people will prefer a long haul flight on a widebody. However, that does not mean a widebody is a superior option. Airlines are increasingly moving forward with narrow bodies on long haul routes. This release extra choices for new routes, connections and additional capacity. So I think it depends on the passengers.

Passengers who would wish to spend less time traveling may find that at a single long haul flight on a narrow body is greater than two flights with one being operated with widebody aircraft. Even so a narrow body long haul flight is not necessarily bad. What is great about offering both is that passengers can choose how they want to travel. After all, some of the fun is in the journey, right?

Why don't planes use Reverse Thrust to Push Back?

What is Reverse Thrust?

Reverse thrust is thrust projected in the opposite direction to normal and is used to decelerate an aircraft after landing, in the event of a rejected take off or in some cases in flight. When an aircraft comes into land, it is still moving fast along the runway. To reduce the aircraft speed, the engines can be set to reverse thrust mode. Then the flight speed going down. Aircrafts can use this functionality at any time but normally only slow down on the runway after landing. You can get an idea the process of reverse thrust and forward thrust from the above picture.

Reverse Thrust and Forward Thrust 

Aircraft Reverse Thrust

Why using reverse thrust at the gate isn't a good idea?

There are many reasons why it’s not a great idea to use reverse thrust at the gate and why many aircraft today are banned from doing so. It is completely possible to do, but that's not the best idea. Because the air blast around the aircraft will stir debris that can either damage the gate, the airport, terminal or anyone near the plane.

The power back operation uses a lot of fuel and is very loud, disturbing passengers and those watching from the airport. Lastly, pilots in the aircraft can’t see behind them (there isn’t a rearview mirror) thus, they would need a spotter on the ground anyway, negating the point of doing a movement without any help. The upside is a few minutes and dollars saved, but the downside could be millions in damage and a grounded aircraft.

What is Deregulation in the airline industry? and How it is impact on Tourism?

What is Deregulation?

• The process of removing government imposed restrictions on an Airline can be called as deregulation.

• Airline Deregulation act was established in 1978.

• USA became the first country to implement deregulation and it was signed by the USA president Jimmy Carter.

• The main target of deregulation was to grant more competition between airlines and to allow more flying routes.

So let's see what are the positive impacts of deregulation towards the Tourism Industry.

• Tourism has grown to a rapidly developing industry and many countries are making efforts to be competitive among other countries. This led to deregulations of tourism by many countries to encourage tourism.

• Because of Deregulation new airlines and new flying routes emerged. And also the price for air travel reduced highly. Because of that many people started travel around the world through air.

• The emergence of Low cost carriers due to deregulation was another plus point towards the tourism industry. Many people like to travel on Low Cost Carriers because they don’t need to spend more time on traveling. Low Cost Carriers turned the aviation industry around a lot because of its low fares.

• Many People started to travel around the world to learn about new things. Many started to learn about new cultures because of the frequent travel. Due to the restrictions lifted on the airspace, many countries were able to travel other countries without any difficulties.

Are there any negative impacts of deregulation towards the Tourism Industry?

Yes, in my point of view after deregulation the aviation industry became competitive. Because of that cheap tickets were introduced. This had a negative effect on the airlines. To be more competitive the airlines had price wars and due to this effect the ticket price did not reduced, but it increased its value by 150%. The airlines became greedier. They started to get more money from the passengers. So this had a major effect on the tourism industry.

Hence, the deregulations in the airline industry as detailed in above paragraph indicate the proper picture of more advantages for the airline industry.

Will the Social and Economic Impacts of Aviation Industry be a positive factor?

First lets see what are the Social impacts of Aviation Industry.

• The Aviation industry allows people to access rural and remote areas and improving social inclusion creating better relationships and contact with other communities in the world. It also allows rural areas to get supplies such as medicine and food. Thus social standards are improved.

• The Healthcare sector flourished because of the aviation industry. Many funds were received from foreign nations to build hospitals. Doctors started to travel to other countries to buy medicine and also they travelled to learn about new medical techniques. We can understand from that aviation industry played a major role in this scenario. 

• Air Transport improves the quality of life by increasing people’s leisure and cultural experience. Air transport provides wide range of holiday destinations around the globe. An also we can visit our friends and relative who are living abroad at an affordable price.

So now I'm going to explain what are the Economic impacts of Aviation Industry.

• Aviation provides the only worldwide transportation network, which makes it essential for global business. It plays an important role in facilitating economic growth, mainly in the developing countries.

• Many foreign investments can be brought to the country because of the easy access is there through air transportation. Many foreign nations can easily access our country through air transportation and they check whether their investments are utilized properly.

• Aviation can reduce poverty by creating direct and indirect job opportunities in the growing aviation industry. Since the number of passengers who use air transport increases yearly. It creates more need for human resources. 

• Because of the aviation industry we get access to new technologies and We can easily order new technological equipment's from other countries through air transportation faster.

• When we talk about the disadvantages to the economy of one’s country, there would be many political involvements and they may interfere in governing of the country. Another negative effect would be brain drain. Many people would leave the country for better foreign jobs.

Therefore with the above summation I could say the social and the economic impacts are inter related in the Aviation industry which gives more advantages than disadvantages.

The Airbus A321XLR will change the way we fly?

 THE A321XLR

The Airbus A321XLR was launched in 2019 at the Paris Air show. This was aimed at combining the single aisle economic with Long haul widebody cabin comfort. The A321XLR is a development of the Airbus A320 family. The A320neo (new engine option) was launched in 2010. The A320neo family can be divided into,

• A319neo
• A320neo
• A321neo
• A321LR
• A321XLR

Is the A321XLR longest single aisle aircraft?

Yes it is, the A321XLR delivers a range of 4700nm which is the longest for any single aisle (Narrow- Body) aircraft opening a world of possibilities. The XLR stands for Extra Long Range. This has been made possible by the introduction of a new permanent Rear Centre Tank (RCT) for more fuel volume which holds the equivalent of four Additional Centre Tanks (ACT) and an improved landing gear capable of withstanding 101 metric tons of maximum take-off weight which makes it possible to carry more fuel onboard without having to reduce passengers or cargo.

Is the A321XLR more comfortable?

I think Passengers are more concerned about comfort when it comes to long distance flights therefore, the A321XLR has been designed to optimize the passenger comfort. The aircraft is equipped with an optimized airspace cabin which includes re-contoured sidewalls, inbuilt connectivity, programmable jetlag friendly LED lighting and larger overhead luggage bins. This aircraft can carry a maximum of 244 passengers with lie flat seats for the business class for maximum comfort. So because of that I think this flight is well suited for long distance journeys and it would provide the passengers with a comfortable flight experience.

What is the impact of A321XLR on Tourism sector?

When it comes to the airline company, it will be benefited by the exceptional fuel efficiency of the A321XLR. It brings down the fuel burn per seat by 30% compared to its previous generation competitor aircraft. Because of that airlines will be able to drop fares on certain routes which will give them the competitive edge over the rivals. Also, it will be a big win for the passengers. The A321XLR will provide budget airlines with a golden opportunity to overcome these inefficiencies and operate long haul flights at lower fares. 

Also, the airlines will be able to operate a lower cost single aisle aircraft on routes that are long range, but less heavily traveled or with airports that are unable to receive a big aircraft. This will enable operators to open new world wide routes.

Therefore, this would be a massive stimulus for the tourism industry, and it will allow passengers to explore new destinations. With the development of new routes, airlines will be able to expand its reach and both airlines and airports will see a surge in the revenue. Also, the passengers will be greatly benefitted with many new connecting options worldwide.