Aviation in Alberta has evolved from very humble beginnings into a multimillion dollar industry. What was once the undertaking of tinkerers and hobbyists in small garages and workshops, is now the business of entrepreneurs and corporations. As the business of aviation has changed, so has the technology. Current and future innovations in aviation technology promise to make flying safer, faster, and more economical.

Present day airlines and aviation companies are on the hunt for the latest and greatest that aeronautical engineering has to offer. At stake is a share in the profits to be had for those who offer airborne services, and each decision carries the potential to make or break an aviation company’s foothold in the industry. For some airlines, the answer lies in larger aircraft, as in the case of the Airbus A380, a European aircraft which is the largest passenger airliner ever designed. While such an airplane will be able to hold more passengers at one time than any other aircraft presently flying, the challenge will be over how to accommodate such a plane. Currently, there are only so many airports in the world with the physical layout to allow a plane the size of the A380 to land safely.

For other companies, smaller and faster carries the ticket to success. In the United States, Boeing has also developed bigger planes, such as the 777 and 787, but neither of these is the size of the A380. The Boeing strategy is not to outsize the competition, but rather to keep planes within the parameters of current airport designs, while transporting more passengers over longer distances with reduced fuel costs. Air Canada had plans to acquire the newest Boeing planes, but internal concerns over the feasibility of such a purchase scuppered the deal.

New innovations in aviation take place on an ongoing basis, but whether such innovations find their way into the Alberta market depends on several factors. Such innovations have to be feasible for the size and structure of Alberta’s airports. Such innovations would also have to be attractive to Alberta consumers, and result in air travel that is both efficient and economical. Will the super airliners have a place in Alberta’s future, or will some different aeronautical innovation take centre stage? As history has shown so far, the change is inevitable, and in many ways, unpredictable.