There's something in the air. Many of us have noticed a quiet, subtle, cautious sense of optimism in the aviation sector. It's been growing. The rise of the Omicron variant threatened to set things back again, and there those of us that have been waiting for it to ruin things – well, that hasn't really happened.

It seems that vaccination programmes have done their job, and although the newest variant is spreading, it's more manageable than the original Covid-19 outbreak – provided, of course, that we keep up with vaccination, boosting, and testing. The mood has been buoyed in the UK particularly, with the recent announcement that travel restrictions will be reduced.

That being said, the aviation sector needs to remain vigilant. It should be ­– and is – continuing to implement the new processes and technologies that we've seen over the last two years. I suppose the silver lining for those of us who are fascinated by new technology is that there has been a tangible ramp in innovation and implementation.

This issue is packed with new developments. We speak to the founder of Engineered Arts about the future of robots in airports, and we learn how AI can improve airport security and track flight delays before they've been reported. And, in our cover story, we look at the benefits of remote air traffic control systems and why they're becoming more prevalent.

In addition to all of this, we speak to SITA to learn about the important messages from its new aviation industry report, and profile BOOM, a new US-based company hoping to bring back supersonic passenger flights.

For this, and more, read on. Don’t forget to follow us @Airport_Mag and let us know your thoughts on this issue.