Entering 2021, the worst of the aviation industry's COVID-19 downturn may be behind us, but the pandemic's impact is not. Just how long its effects will linger is an open question, but the road to recovery looks long and winding. Here's the 2021 aviation industry outlook as of writing.

The end of 2020 does not mean the end of the most challenging period in the aviation industry’s history. As the industry looks to rebound in 2021, it will have to contend with a variety of risk factors, both COVID-related and otherwise.

From big drops in airline spending to the challenges of maintaining parked fleets and preparing for the hastened arrival of next-generation aircraft, the pandemic has had major and potentially long-lasting effects on the maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) industry.

Future-proofing initiatives have shrunk from planning over the next ten years, to what should be done over the next ten months. How is this affecting digital transformation of the industry?

With social distancing shaping up to be a more permanent pattern in the fabric of global society, could automation solve some of the challenges that the industry is facing?

In many ways, additive manufacturing is a natural fit for the aviation industry. It provides a way to create complex designs and produce lightweight, yet strong structures. However, in its current state, additive manufacturing faces some key challenges that must be addressed before it's going to be widely adopted in the aviation industry.