Many airplanes are already being flown on autopilot, but 54 percent of people still say that they wouldn’t be comfortable flying on a fully automated plane. Like it or not, that might be a normal reality sooner or later.
Making the move to pilotless planes could save airlines a massive $35 billion per year. Most of these savings come in the form of skilled employees, while some of it is training and even money spent on fuel.
Switching to the autopilot technology could also make airlines double the profits. Many planes already use the technology for landing. The planes can’t auto reverse or turn off the runway, but they are capable of lining up the landing spot and applying the breaks at the appropriate time.
Boeing is one airline that is currently testing out more of these features.
