Data agrees with real life: Future flights will be longer and more crowded
Skift Take
What kind of innovation could break this cycle of fuller planes and longer flights? Could technology and design changes play a big role any time soon in this? Looks unlikely because of capital required and the lack of political will to make radical changes.
Anecdotally -- as in our own in-real-life experience -- we know how terrible the air flying experience is these days, especially Stateside, and how it has deteriorated over the years. Now new data from FAA released as part of its Annual Aerospace Forecast Fiscal Years 2012-2033 confirms it with data, both historical and future.
From the FAA forecast, both average trip length and average seats per aircraft mile -- measure of how many seats fit into an aircraft -- have been increasing steadily since 2000 for U.S. commercial air carriers. Both are forecast to continue going in an upwards trajectory for years to come.
In 2012 the average U.S. domestic p
