Everyone is talking about pilotless a/c. They claim the argument is proved by crewless other transport services. Unfortunately Mother-nature doesn't affect those other services in quite the same way. I grant you that on a perfect day a pilotless a/c might, just might succeed; even a drone ground controlled a/c might quote with some dodgy circumstances. Today the pressure is to depart with minimum fuel. Consider the scenario where things do not go ideally as planned and decisions need to be made; options considered and choices made, but fuel does not give you much spare time. What about the on-board emergency that throws a spanner in the works and an en-route diversion is needed. What about arriving at destination with a little spare fuel and the runway is blocked for an estimated delay that just might be manageable, but you'd end up below final reserve if you hold.
If all they are doing is trying to save pilot salary costs & training + recurrence costs, what about cabin crew costs? What about unnecessary diversion costs and the consequent costs of flight cancellations? Are they going to remove cabin crew? Are they going to cancel pax compensation payments?
It's all pie in the sky. There is more to the argument than technology. Conference calls can remove the need for much business travel. Virtual reality, home style, can remove the need for holiday breaks. I can sit at home with a viral tour of a city on my smat=phone and goggles, then go out to a local restaurant of the relevant cuisine. If necessary I can have an afternoon in Centre Parks as well. But we don't. Before we get pilotless a/c there will be driverless taxis. That will have to succeed first. Then perhaps crewless ferries and cruise ships. Self-ticketing ferris and bring your own food & booze on cruises. Don't think anytime soon.