https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b...2030-rw3mw3blb
Brace yourself for pilotless planes by 2030
Pilotless passenger aircraft will take to the skies within a decade under plans drawn up by a British manufacturer to cut the cost of flights.
Britten-Norman, based on the Isle of Wight, said yesterday that it planned to introduce single-pilot planes with an “autonomous co-pilot” by 2025. It said that the shift to
fully pilotless planes could be achieved by the end of the decade, giving operators the choice to move between “uncrewed and piloted” flights as required.....
Yesterday, Britten-Norman, the sole independent commercial aircraft manufacturer in the UK, announced that it had signed a deal with Blue Bear, a British autonomous flight specialist, to develop the technology.
The two companies will work to automate Britten-Norman’s Islander, a twin-engine utility aircraft which is used for passenger flights, cargo and search-and-rescue operations. The project is due to be launched this month.
The plane, which can carry up to nine passengers, and has a short take-off and landing capability, operates on commercial routes between Scottish islands.
The team behind the project said: “Eventually the system will allow the Islander to take off, fly and land without any human input but the first milestone will be an automated co-pilot which can advise its human operator.”
Passenger jets have been flying on autopilot for around 50 years and large drones piloted from the ground are common in the military. However, pilotless passenger planes are not permitted. The technology would ultimately have to be approved by regulators.
Britten-Norman already produces aircraft that are certified for single pilot flights but some operators elect to, or must, operate with a second safety pilot. The company said that the ultimate goal was optional full automation which “should be realised within this decade”.
It said regional air transport was often “underdeveloped and often forced to rely on subsidy. This is because regional air transport can struggle to be economically sustainable due to high operating and maintenance costs,” it said. “Regional air transport will have to incorporate zero carbon and autonomous technology to make operations affordable and scalable.”......