Global Airline Industry Set To Hit $1 Trillion By 2025 Despite Supply Chain Turbulence

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

December 11, 2024

The global airline industry is on track to achieve record revenues of $1 trillion by 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). While passenger numbers continue to rise, the sector faces persistent challenges, including aircraft supply chain disruptions and operational delays.

Record Revenue and Profit Growth

IATA projects a net profit of $36.6 billion for the airline sector in 2025, a rise from the $31.5 billion expected in 2024. Passenger traffic remains strong, with a record 5.2 billion passengers travelling in 2024. Although growth in 2025 is forecasted to be more moderate, it will still contribute to a sustained recovery following the COVID-19-induced collapse of 2020, which saw industry losses of $140 billion.

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Lower fuel prices are providing some relief for airlines. Brent crude oil prices have declined by 20% over the past year, easing operating costs. The outlook is further supported by expectations of looser fiscal policies worldwide, which could bolster consumer purchasing power and drive global economic growth.

Supply Chain Disruptions Hamper Expansion

Despite positive financial projections, airlines face significant operational challenges. Strikes and technical issues at major aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus have delayed deliveries of new, more fuel-efficient planes. These delays are problematic for airlines seeking to modernise their fleets and reduce fuel costs.

Boeing’s production of the 737 MAX aircraft was disrupted after a seven-week strike involving more than 70,000 employees. Following a new labour agreement that includes a 38% wage increase over four years, production has resumed. However, the backlog of more than 4,000 pending orders poses a logistical hurdle for Boeing as it seeks to meet growing airline demand.

A Look Ahead

As the airline industry edges closer to the $1 trillion revenue milestone, it must navigate both opportunities and obstacles. Rising passenger numbers and easing fuel costs are key growth drivers. However, production delays at Boeing and Airbus highlight the fragile nature of the sector’s supply chain.

The coming years will be defined by how well the industry adapts to these challenges. Airlines reliant on timely fleet upgrades may face operational setbacks, but the overall outlook remains positive. With strong global demand, increased profits, and declining fuel costs, the sector is poised for continued growth—though not without turbulence along the way.

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Copyright Law Struggles To Keep Up With AI Training

by News Editor

August 24, 2026

Courts Are Still Applying Old Copyright Rules To AI

AI companies train models on enormous amounts of published material, including books, articles and academic research. Whether using that content without authors’ permission violates copyright law remains unresolved.

Much of the debate centres on fair use, which allows copyrighted material to be used without permission in certain circumstances. Courts consider factors such as the purpose of the use, how much material was involved and its impact on the original market.

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Anthropic Case Sets An Important Precedent

A major case involving Anthropic and a group of authors provided one of the clearest rulings so far. Judge William Alsup found that using copyrighted books to train AI models was lawful, comparing the process to people reading and studying literature before creating something new.

Anthropic was nevertheless ordered to pay $1.5 billion in a settlement. The penalty concerned books the company had obtained from illegal online libraries rather than the AI training itself.

For AI companies, that distinction could prove significant because it separates studying copyrighted material from directly copying it.

Competition Could Be The Key Issue

A case involving Thomson Reuters and Ross Intelligence offers a different perspective. A court ruled that Ross could not claim fair use after using Reuters’ copyrighted material to develop a competing AI-powered legal research platform.

The decision suggests courts may be less willing to consider AI training fair use when copyrighted content is used to build a product that directly competes with the original.

For authors, an unresolved question is whether AI-generated content should be considered competition for the works used to train these models.

The Law Has Yet To Catch Up

US copyright law predates generative AI by decades, leaving courts to apply old principles to new technology. Questions also remain over copyright protection for AI-generated works. In Thaler v. Perlmutter, a court ruled that material created entirely by AI cannot receive copyright protection.

Major AI companies remain involved in copyright litigation, and different courts could reach different conclusions. For now, there is no universal rule: the legality of AI training will depend on the circumstances of each case and how courts ultimately interpret copyright and fair use.

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