The future of flying

The pandemic has been very hard on commercial aviation, but most experts believe the sector will soon be growing again – fast. The BBC's Theo Leggett takes a look at what new technologies are out there. Sandra Bour Schaeffer, Chief Executive of Airbus Upnext, tells him what the aviation giant is planning for the future. Neil Cloughley, from the much smaller Faradair Aerospace, makes the case for why their hybrid-electric technology is the way forward for flying. On the other hand, Blake Scholl of Boom Supersonic says that, two decades after the end of supersonic jet Concorde, it's time for airliners to break the sound barrier once again. But if we want to protect the environment, should we be flying at all? Matt Finch, UK policy director of the Brussels-based lobby group Transport and Environment, says yes - but not quite so often. (Image: the ZEROe blended wing body concept, Credit: Airbus)