From an LAA / BMAA perspective we have many more strips than at any time, we have much more capable aircraft, much lower fuel and maintenance costs. For the fun flyer life has never been so good!
Yes, and their is no doubt in my mind that is where leisure aviation is going.
You shed a load of regulatory burden, you have the capability to operate out of grass strips and / or accept you dont need or want all the support services that go with larger airports and therefore the ground infra structure costs diddly squat to operate.
In my mind (irrationally I know) safety remains an issue. The record is in fact very good but IO mkaes some sound points about the often all to flimsy construction of some LAA types. However, I forsee the use of BPS becoming far more common and rightly so.
Moreover I suppose as the Italians may be about to demonstrate it is still possible to produce a very light twin using Rotax engines with the associated safety "advantages", even if they will not qualify as LAA types at the moment. That said who is to stop someone fitting a Rotax in the front and back of an LAA type or a contra rotating engine on the wing to avoid most of the asymetric issues which give twins a bad name and yet still get some where near the weight allowance for aircraft of this type.
Moreover as numbers increase the manufacturers will respond. We are already seeing the likes of Garmin producing versions of their G1000 system specifically designed for LAA types. As the market responds so are Garmin likely to respond in pricing the product to suite the market.
In almost every way LAA types make heaps of sense for the future of GA in exactly the same way as the new electric Smart car will for every commuter journey even if old habits die hard.