In 2013, over 3 billion passengers took to the skies. As airlines aim to make flying as simple as taking the train, could everything people would normally associate with air travel – endless queues, bad food, cramped, uncomfortable seats – be about to change for the better?

With $385 billion currently invested in global airport developments, lounges and runways are changing rapidly. It might be decades before ‘airport cities’ are developed, but we’re already seeing new outdoor spaces, retail opportunities and better logistics. What does the future of airports hold?

GoOpti – an UberPOOL equivalent in the bus shuttle space – is an on-demand platform that connects travellers for hub-to-hub transfers. With people increasingly fed up with public transport, innovators are co-opting the best aspects of ride-sharing for new solutions.

Foot space, good service and edible food are sacrifices Ryanair customers willingly make in the name of low prices. It’s a brand image that the Irish airline spent years reinforcing. But some reshuffling and a subsequent sales spike have led it to realise there are easier ways to make money.