Actually, all they need is a failed didi driver to taxi the aircraft out to the holding point and line up. Probably getting his taxi instructions via WeChat.
As for passenger reassurance? Do you seriously think the pax can differentiate between us and say a baggage handler dressed in a pompous uniform with lots of stripes and a large hat?
Self evidently my comments are not in the least serious, merely intended to illustrate the danger of trusting in a status quo.
By way of a knee trembler, I’d like to point out that Garmin have an auto land feature on some high end Piper single engine turboprop. If the sole pilot becomes incapacitated, the passenger presses a large red button. From that point on, the automatics take over and do *everything to land the aircraft at the nearest suitable airport, stop it on the runway and shutdown. I gather it doesn’t even need an ILS equipped runway. The technology is here.
”*Everything” in this context includes deciding which airport and runway, configuring the aircraft, advising ATC and making voice transmissions on appropriate frequencies to alert other traffic.
Pilotless passenger carrying aircraft ? Not a question of if, but rather when.