PILOTLESS passenger planes might be closer than you think according to Airbus.
The aviation company says that it already has the technology to do it – it just needs regulators and passengers to get on board.
Christian Scherer, chief salesman for Airbus, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday that the company hopes to be selling hybrid or electric passenger jets by around 2035.
While the company is still far from ready to churn out battery-operated jumbo jets, Scherer said Airbus already has “the technology for autonomous flying” and for planes flown by just one pilot.
He said: “This is not a matter of technology it’s a matter of interaction with the regulators, the perception in the travelling public.
“When can we introduce it in large commercial aircraft? That is a matter we are discussing with regulators and customers, but technology-wise, we don’t see a hurdle.”
Several manufacturers are presenting unmanned aircraft at the Paris Air Show, primarily for military purposes, and some are also proposing pilotless “air taxis” of the future.
When it comes to autonomous passenger jets, safety is an obvious concern.
It’s an issue that is on many minds after two deadly crashes of the Boeing 737 Max jet that have implicated problematic anti-stall software.
Scherer said the crashes “highlighted and underlined the need for absolute, uncompromising safety in this industry, whether from Airbus, Boeing or any other plane.”
A Boeing chief previously said that pilotless planes could be airborne in just a year.
Mike Sinnett, then vice-president of product development, said that the building blocks for the aircraft are already in place.
The planes would use similar tech to what’s used for drones.
Earlier this year, Sun Online Travel reported that travel booking company Kiwi.com had invested in research into pilotless planes that could carry up to four passengers.
