FedEx and UPS will continue to grow.

AA, CAL, DAL, NWA, US Airways will all merge and then this blob would somehow be bought by Richard Branson and the gov't lets him do it.

Skybus will have started up and failed 2 more times. Interestingly, the same pilots will all be going through these cycles, each time buying management's optimism about fleet plans and stock options.

SWA will have bought all the regionals and will buy Boeing to control the 737 market. They'll appear before congressional hearings for doing such. oh yeah, they start code sharing with Greyhound.

TSA screeners go from the blue shirt with cop badge uniforms to full airline pilot uniforms in an attempt to gain more respect. Then they demand jumpseat privileges.

Family Airlines will still be on the verge of beginning operations.

oh....and the fractionals... and part 91 ops... may see a huge boom as those people rich enough or corporations with the cash........ will just as soon fly ON their schedule to WHERE they want to go... with NO TSA!!!

The price of fuel will continue to skyrocket. Flying will mostly be done by the super wealthy on private jets and 1-2 government spondered airlines. Flying for the middle class and lower upper class no longer exists. More efficient ways of priducing electricity will make nation-wide electric train systems the dominant force in the movement of people and goods. Airline pilots will be well paid, but will all be ex-fighter pilots with presidential recommendations, and backup jobs in the space program.

Hum...nice to notice that, now it has been 5 years later since this topic started in 2008.
So, if some of you are still there, what do you think about your predictions ?

and what do you think in 5 years ? :)

This one appears to be coming true. Flexjet business up 83% over last year with 265 jets on order/options.

Great crystal ball!

Airport capacity contraints
 

Plenty of oil with fracking going on.

Economy will be better.

Mainline using more A320's or B737 to replace regional jets as needed as the number of paxs dictat.

HOWEVER, any new runways or terminals being built?

Retirement age going to 70.

Computers don't age so it won't matter what the retirement age is when everything is a drone.

Agreed. I think you'll see less frequency because of fewer regional pilots available to fly the jets. That will force the mainlines to go twice a day to places that are getting 7 a day with RJs.

about the same. A little more consolidation and there will be much fewer pilots overall which should offset a lot of the retirements. I don't see much different in 5 years.