Pretty much every technology in aviation started with the military, so if you want to see where civil aviation is going to be in 15 years look at the military now. What I see is the precision strike mission is now being executed by drones. If the technology exists today to acquire and engage a target with a drone operated by a guy 10,000 miles away then it exists to fly and A to B airliner flight. The question is only how long is it going to take for this reality to be adopted by industry.
As for the idea passengers won't fly in a pilot-less airplane, well if the fare is $ 5 cheaper they will jump on.
As a person who has been flying for 40 years, 31 of that commercially I take no joy in this situation but I also accept its inevitability.