What will be aviation’s most game-changing tech in next 20 years?

As Future Travel Experience celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026, we’re inviting the global air transport industry to look ahead once again and help answer a defining question for the future of aviation: What will be the most important and game-changing technology to transform aviation over the next 20 years?

From artificial intelligence and robotics to seamless travel and even commercial space tourism, the pace of innovation continues to accelerate. The next two decades promise to reshape every aspect of the passenger journey, airport operations and airline business models, and we want to hear what you believe will have the greatest impact.

To mark this milestone year, Future Travel Experience has launched a special industry poll inviting our global community to cast their vote for the technology they believe will define the next era of aviation.

The results will be revealed live at the 20th anniversary edition of FTE Global, taking place in Dallas, Texas, on 8 to 10 September 2026, bringing together industry leaders to celebrate two decades of innovation while looking ahead to the opportunities that will shape the future of travel.

“Future Travel Experience has always taken pride in being first to look over the horizon and grasp a hold of the next big technology about to transform the passenger journey,” said Max Gosney, Managing Director, APEX Future Travel Experience. “This poll invites our loyal supporters to join the debate and identify what they believe has the greatest potential to redefine the way we travel. Is it all about advancing AI, maybe it’s ramp-ready robots or is it something completely out of leftfield that we haven’t even considered? When the first FTE Global event launched in 2006 flip phones, iPods and Facebook were the darlings of the new digital age. So, what will another two decades of innovation mean for our lives and our workplaces by 2046? We are excited to hear the predictions of the global aviation industry and reveal the results at our 20th anniversary birthday party in Dallas this September.”

Cast your vote here >>

Cast your vote

As we celebrate 20 years of championing innovation across the air transport industry, we’d love you to join the conversation. Vote now in our special anniversary poll and tell us which technology you believe will have the greatest impact on aviation over the next 20 years:

Advanced artificial intelligence, including agentic AI, autonomous decision-making systems and future artificial general intelligence (AGI) capabilities
Autonomous vehicles – running at level 5 with no human oversight
Commercially viable Space travel: an interplanetary aviation industry is born and services tourist flights to the Moon and Mars
Always-on connectivity: 6G, satellite networks and edge computing enabling fully connected passengers, aircraft and airports
Operation-ready robots working on the ramp/baggage hall
Digital Twins: virtual versions of us humans to multiply our productivity in the workplace
Digital identity and seamless travel: biometric and digital identity technologies eliminating documents, queues and friction throughout the passenger journey
Something else

The winning technology will be announced live at FTE Global, Dallas, Texas, 8 to 10 September 2026, as we celebrate 20 years of pioneering innovation and begin the conversation about the next 20.

Cast your vote here >>