Pilotless planes could exist soon, and will make airfare cheaper

Pilotless planes could be ready for commercial use by 2025, but a study found that more than half of travelers would refuse to board an automated aircraft.

Pilotless planes would save airlines more than $35 billion every year and could lead to cheaper airfare, according to new research from the investment bank UBS. Pilots cost the industry about $31 billion every year and another $3 billion in training, according to the research. Automated planes would fly more efficiently, saving another $1 billion in fuel each year.

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However, travelers are weary are fully automated aircraft. More than 50 percent of the 8,000 people surveyed by UBS said they would not feel comfortable flying in a pilotless plane, even if the airfare was cheaper.

“Some 54 percent of respondents said they were unlikely to take a pilotless flight, while only 17 percent said they would likely undertake a pilotless flight,” the report found. “Perhaps surprisingly, half of the respondents said that they would not buy the pilotless flight ticket even if it was cheaper.”

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The pilotless planes could solve a major pilot shortage issue for the aviation industry. North American companies will need to hire 112,000 pilots between now and 2035, according to the Boeing 2016 Pilot Outlook. The shortage has in part been caused by the growing industry, and that issue may only get worse. Worldwide passenger demand is estimated to double in the 20 years, according to the International Air Transport Association.

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