An international survey from aerospace company Lilium has found that 65% of respondents believe it’s time for sustainable air travel.
The finding comes from a survey of 4,000 respondents across the UK, US, France and Germany, which found that 70% of all respondents are concerned about the role of aviation in climate change.
“What’s now clear from the findings of this landmark research is that people are ready for new forms of transportation that meet their needs for environmental responsibility,” Lilium’s Head of Communications Rainer Ohler told Zag Daily.
“They are increasingly aware of the effects of climate change and it’s becoming a more important preference on their list of priorities when selecting products and services.”
Germany showed the strongest demand for eVTOL aircrafts, with 64% of German respondents saying they would like to try the aircrafts compared with 61% of all respondents.
“The German public debate about eVTOLs has clearly given a boost to eVTOL awareness in this country,” said Rainer.
Across all countries, one-fifth of respondents said they were aware of eVTOL aircrafts.
The survey also found that US adults aged 18 to 34 are 2.5 times more likely to focus on sustainability when making travel decisions compared with those aged 55+.
Cost was cited as the most important factor for making travel decisions, with 54% of all respondents ranking this highest. This was closely followed by 46% of all respondents citing comfort as a factor in making travel plans, and convenience of access cited by 39%.
When asked what can be learned from other countries’ progress on sustainable air travel, Rainer highlighted the role of China. Rainer noted how much money is invested in joint ventures and partnerships between battery and aircraft manufacturers who have a clear ambition to establish electric flying.
“Aviation is at the centre of the global economy but it’s also responsible for around 2.5% of global CO2 emissions. Our industry can do this sustainably, and we hope to see the U.S. and Europe take the lead in establishing electric flight commercially.”
