Air transport forecasts and scenarios are an essential and indispensable part of strategic planning in transport politics, transport management, and for transport companies. Thus, air transport forecasts and scenarios serve appropriate administrations in air transport politics to plan air transport systems according to the demand. They also help related institutions like air traffic control and companies like airlines and airports to plan according to future traffic developments. A broad spectrum of tasks arises in the field of forecasts, depending on the temporal and spatial expansion of the traffic corridor, the geographical region of study, and the time horizon for forecasts.
In the Department for Air Transport Development, the methods and procedures for air transport analysis and forecasting are being further developed at various temporal and spatial levels (worldwide, national, regional, airport-specific). All types of air transport, including their technical development, are included and their contributions to transport performance are both analyzed retrospectively and determined for future years. This is done on a local, regional, national and global level and for all market segments (mainliners, regional aircraft, business jets, SAT, UAV, SST). With a specially developed airport-specific prognosis method, according to which the air transport demand and supply are forecast sequentially and interlocked with each other, the demand for consideration of different "futures" in scenarios and the measure responsiveness of the forecasts and scenarios can be met.
By evaluating new technologies in terms of their ecological, economic and social benefits, the Department for Air Transport Development contributes to forecasting possible pathways of the aviation market and deriving recommendations for policymakers as well as aviation companies and the air transport industry shaping future air transport in a sustainable and climate-friendly way.