Airlines Face Battle for Survival
Unless there is a major technological breakthrough airline tickets will continue to become more and more expensive until only the super rich are able to afford to fly. The problem is that while it is reasonably straightforward to build a car that runs on electricity, it is generally of lower performance and to build a jet you need maximal performance, thus you need highly refined oil. The Financial Times looks at the problem in the short term:
British Airways last week reported record profits for the year to March and the first 10 per cent operating profit margin in its history.
And yet it also warned that $125 oil could wipe away the entire operating profit this year, without further cost-saving, fare increases and cuts in capital spending.
$135? How about $150? Or $200? British Airways is one of the most financially sound airlines around. The US airlines have all be scrimping on upgrades for years and thus have less fuel efficient jets. Expect US airline travel to become more unpleasant as oil prices continue to rise. I’ve already gotten an email from my airline this summer, letting me know that they changed my flight because they canceled the one I was on. I just hope they are still around long enough for me to make all my flights this summer.
Obviously, we need to bring back zeppelins and airships. They’re slower than jetliners, but faster than cars and so much cooler. And they can make them with some solar power!
I don’t think we’ll revert to a 19th century lifestyle (although that isn’t quite as bad as people think) as the era of cheap energy ends, but I do think we’ll need to cut back on some things. I imagine life will look a lot like 1920s America, but with some much neater technology.
Heh, I like that solar blimp. I actually believe that the military is already looking into long haul heavy lift airships to replace current high fuel usage air transport (that project was cancelled, but I have to believe that some off the books funding has kept something similar going).