Planes aren't "idiotic". They are marvels of engineering and very useful for long distance travel, especially across oceans or difficult terrain (ever had to cross a mountain over a serpentine path?). Conceptually, planes are way less problematic than cars. There is no "plane centric lifestyle", planes haven't forced us to build our neighbourhoods differently, aren't handed out to just about anybody, and aren't killing thousands of people daily.

The problem is their engines. They are loud, polluting, and inefficient. Add on that they are unfairly subsidised with little to no incentive to improve besides lowering the weight on a plane. Let's be clear though, planes pollute nowhere as much globally as cars. Planes were responsible for 2.5% of carbon emissions in 2020. Rice production alone is responsible for 1.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The airline industry hasn't had to reinvent itself technologically since the 70s or so. But there is now work going into net-zero planes:

• hydrogen fuel planes
• electric aircraft

Though there is a decline in funding - probably due to the new right-wing administrations in the US and Europe.