At Aviation Festival Americas, Ed Wegel, Founder & Chairman, UrbanLink joined for a five-minute discussion on the technologies shaping the future of air travel. Wegel, the former GlobalX CEO, recently launched UrbanLink, an advanced air mobility (AAM) operator. In May, UrbanLink placed an order of 20 jets from Lilium N.V, supporting Wegel’s plans to “be the first airline in the US to integrate eVTOL aircraft into its fleet.”
Reflecting on the industry’s ambitious net zero by 2050 target, Wegel seemed optimistic, noting the progress we have seen so far adding, “it’s really heartening to see so many out there working on all of these solutions for the industry.” In the insightful conversation, Wegel also mapped out the technologies that will have the most significant impact shaping the future of travel, identifying sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and eVTOL as instrumental in reducing industry emissions.
Looking at the decarbonisation strategy moving forward, Wegel emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships to effectively develop emerging technologies urging:
“Everybody has to work hand in glove to make this work. We’re talking new technology, opening up new markets, creating new demand for a product that doesn’t exist today. So that’s going to require this partnership between the public and the private side to make this happen.”
For all this and more, watch the full interview now.
Questions asked:
- Which emerging technologies do you believe will have the most significant impact on shaping the future of travel?
- In what significant ways does the industry fall short in meeting passenger expectations? How can we learn from other sectors here.
- When it comes to the sustainability challenge, what strategies and initiatives need to be the priority – how can these lay the foundations for decarbonising the industry?
For more from onsite at Aviation Festival Americas see:
