The Impact of Blockchain on Critical Transport Infrastructure – The Case of Aviation

Critical Infrastructures produce critical goods and services for society and cover a wide range of sectors according to the governance frameworks in place in the United States, in the European Union (EU) and in EU Member States including Romania. Aviation is a particular case for the critical transport infrastructure, with a high degree of technical complexity, economic productivity and complex supply and production chains. Blockchain or Distributed Ledger is an already famous digital emerging technology with the possibility of disintermediating numerous system processes, thereby reducing costs, increasing security and reducing risk in a world where cumbersome and expensive intermediaries are required for trust in all sorts of transactions. This article provides a brief overview of the critical air transport infrastructure and of the blockchain technology, traces the possible uses of blockchain in aviation, gives real world examples and concludes with recommendations for practitioners moving forward.