The Sky's the Limit

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The Sky's the Limit

View the entire film.

43:10 min

 

For anyone who has ever wondered how safe it is to fly today and in the future, this film proves to be the "crystal ball" into the world of air travel that includes even more delays, cancellations, higher seat costs and diminishing in-flight services over the next 10 years.

According to The Sky's The Limit, the airline industry is heading for a crash landing as a perfect storm of economic, environmental and social conditions brew into a mixture diminishing returns and increasing danger.

Travellor frustration is expected to increase as demand exceeds the capacity of our airlines.

The airline industry is on its way to the big boom as new and expanding travel markets are expected to explode in the foreseeable future in China and Asia. With disposable income on the rise, India is already the fastest growing travel market in the world, even though the heaviest air traffic is still concentrated in North America and Western Europe.

Producer David Brady says: "The market for air travel is definitely heading back to the demographic of the wealthy. No one could have predicted this a few years ago."

Canada is at the forefront of technological innovation in air travel.

While the majority of U.S. and other international airlines are still operating with antiquated equipment and systems, Canada leads the world in technological advancements in seamless air traffic control systems that are expected to be adopted by most airlines in the coming years. NAVCanada has implemented the most fuel-saving and pollution-reducing navigation and radar systems in the history of air travel. And, Canada's WestJet, owned by members of its staff, is now the most profitable airline in North America.

Experts say that the real profit is made in the first class section at the front of the plane. A look at the new Airbus A380.

It's a first-time inside look at the future of global air travel and the commercial airlines that currently fly 2.2 billion people a year, a number that is expected to triple by 2040. Among the big airline honchos featured in interviews are: Richard Branson from Virgin Air and Ken McKenzie, Pilot and Executive Vice-President of Operations for WestJet. Air Canada declined to be part of the documentary. The program also features interviews with well-known investigative travel writer and environmentalist George Monbiot and execs from rivals Boeing and Airbus, among many other experts on aviation, transportation, fuel, travel and the environment.

The Sky's The Limit is produced by David Brady and Milt Avruskin and directed by Cynthia Banks, the team behind last year's ratings winner The Pagan Christ on CBC.