[kearnyirish2]

Probably never; English growth at this point isn’t because there are more English or Anglosphere people on the Earth, but because it is widespread in India, Red China, etc.

It is the language of business; as I understand it (I may be wrong), English is also used universally by airline pilots.

[BBB333]

“...English is also used universally by airline pilots.”

Correct.

Formula 1 Racing mandates English in all contracts and radio communication.
Ferrari occasionally cheats on the latter...

[Dr. Sivana]

Yes, and besides its vast vocabulary, it is light compared to the Romance languages for conjugations and word declination. If you can simply say "subject-verb-direct object" you can get a lot said, and be understood even if you use the wrong tense.

"Business English" is a subset of standard English with only a few thousand words that makes a great second language ... so much so that I have read that in a room of international businessmen, the native English speaker may have the most problem being understood because of his use of an expanded vocabulary.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

as I understand it (I may be wrong), English is also used universally by airline pilots.

IACO (International Airtraffic Control Organization) rules require that for an airport to certified as "international" there must be at least one English speaking and one French speaking controller on duty at all times. A single bilingual controller will do.

Air France pilots visiting Boston's Logan Airport prefer to use English. Air Quebec insist on French.

[monocle]

Meanwhile the US is moving more and more to the Hispanic language.

[MeanWestTexan]

“English is also used universally by airline pilots.”

Theoretically. Air traffic control, anyway.

I suppose he-who-invents-names.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

English growth at this point isn’t because there are more English or Anglosphere people on the Earth, but because it is widespread in India, Red China, etc.

It is the language of business; as I understand it (I may be wrong), English is also used universally by airline pilots.

The English language was initially spread by Great Britain, whose empire covered 2/3 of the earth’s surface, not even counting the US. India, for example, has a very large fraction of humanity.

Then WWII happened, and with US victory came US influence pretty much everywhere outside the Soviet Bloc and China. I’m sure that WWII is what made English the lingua franca of aviation radio communication. So many American pilots, on top of all the British ones. The French were out of business, China never had been in the aviation business, the Germans and Japanese lost, and the prior reach of the British Empire made English the logical worldwide choice - outside the Soviet sphere, of course.