UAV689
They are different, and relatively safe to operate on a line - this has been happening for years on such things like people movers (the DLR too!), so it’s not a huge jump to incorporate this into mainline service and people would have less reservations about travelling on them. Give them the option of a trip to Alicante on a pilotless aeroplane and you’ll find that although it may cut the cost of having pilots up front, those savings would be more than lost due to the fact that very few people would pay to travel on it.
No doubting the technology is close to being realised, but it would take many decades of proving its safety and viability to change public opinion on it. Fear of flying is a real thing, and quite prevalent (though in most cases not enough to stop people travelling by air). Fear of travelling by train, car, bus? Pretty much unheard of in the same context.
Last edited by pug; 29th Sep 2021 at 12:52.