Long-Range Aircraft Spell Long-Term Impacts

When I started in the aviation business in the 60s and 70s, aircraft range dictated intermediate stops for refueling on long haul flights. This meant aircraft from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, needed to stop in Honolulu; New York to Tel Aviv meant a stop in London or Paris; Chicago to Tokyo required a stop in Seattle or Anchorage, and so on. With all those stops, of course, there were increased revenues at those airports for fueling, ground handling of the airplanes, catering, and in terminal shops and restaurants.   Now with improved technology providing more efficient aircraft with longer fuel ranges, it is fast becoming possible to connect any two points on the globe without the need for an intermediate or refueling stop. For example, the Boeing 777 has a long-range version that is capable of traveling 9000 miles without refueling. This means New York to Tokyo, Chicago to Hong Kong, London to Singapore; all non-stop flights.  Aircraft with this range were unimaginable 40 years ago. While aircraft range has been steadily increasing since the introduction of the 747 in the early 70s, truly long-range models did not come onto the scene until the 1990s.    This means that airports that previously served as intermediate waypoints are feeling the steady decline of air traffic and revenues. So what’s the future?  Most predictions I’ve seen project a steady decline of the hub and spoke system and more point-to-point service. Something else for ground support equipment providers to be aware of in making their future projections.