Aviation

ring 3 billion by 2030. But despite the economic benefits, those passengers will also bring concerns about noise and air pollution, terrorism and the spread of disease.

The two leading plane makers - Europe’s Airbus, based in France, and the US aerospace giant Boeing - have very different strategies for dealing with increased passenger numbers. The Airbus answer is to build big - their A380 will be the world’s largest passenger aircraft. The plane, which made its maiden flight in April 2005, can carry up to 850 passengers - double the number a Boeing 747 can carry.

Boeing believes small will be beautiful. Its new 7E7 Dreamliner only carries 200 passengers, but can fly directly between small airfields at which large aircraft cannot land. Boeing’s thinking is that passengers will no longer have to change planes to reach their final destination, easing overcrowding at major hubs, such as London’s Heathrow.