Reports

The second space race
The success of a private company teaming up with NASA to launch astronauts past Earth’s atmosphere shows how far technology has come since the first space race between the U.S. and USSR in the 1950s and 1960s. With such advancements at hand, more countries are engaging in extraterrestrial travel and ...


Scenarios for the airline industry after Covid-19
While the airline industry was booming throughout the 2010s, the 2020 Covid-19 outbreak left it reeling. Governments the world over are bailing out flag carriers, leading to potential market distortions. Meanwhile, the sector is looking into several ways to speed up recovery while adapting to a radically different, post-pandemic environment.


Charting the course of Africa’s aviation sector
A growing middle class, increasing continental integration and huge economic potential all provide reason to be optimistic about the future of Africa's aviation sector. Yet many governments still see the industry as a cash cow or point of national pride. Liberalization will certainly come to the market on the continent, ...


EU-U.S. trade row spreads to automotive industry
Already burdened with tightening regulations at home and growing competition abroad, the European automotive industry is now facing the threat of U.S. tariffs as the trade dispute between Washington and Brussels escalates. A deal could materialize before the end of March 2020 if both parties compromise, especially on U.S. agricultural ...


Airbus vs. Boeing: A dispute resolution crisis
Many expected the Airbus-Boeing trade conflict to be over by 2020, more than a decade after it began. However, the latest developments show that tensions could easily rise. The U.S. has not only turned down peace offers from the EU, it has also crippled the WTO, making it difficult for ...


Opinion: European airlines set to lose competitiveness under new rules
European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen has made it clear that she intends to create a level playing field for EU airlines. However, the legislative package currently being discussed contains measures that would have the opposite effect. Taxes on kerosene could hobble EU aviation companies by putting them at ...


Cloudy skies for China’s aviation industry
China's commercial aircraft market will soon be the world's largest, but its domestic industry is not well positioned to take advantage. Engine technology is lagging, while safety, maintenance and other performance issues have set back the development of new aircraft. The outlook for military aviation is even worse unless endemic ...


Russia’s Superjet project must overcome safety concerns
The Sukhoi 100, the first civilian jet built in post-Soviet Russia, was designed in cooperation with Boeing and involves more than 30 foreign partnership companies. A crash last year was a setback for the project, but the biggest threat to its success in saving the nation's aircraft industry is Russia’s ...


Space tourism - a very real prospect
Private manned spaceflight is about to revolutionise aerospace. Aviation companies worldwide are vying with each other to develop space-going craft and space hotels to offer privately-funded individuals the opportunity to experience the life of an astronaut. Space travel is now a very real possibility for the general public – the ...
