Pilotless planes could cut fares for passengers

The development of pilotless passenger aircraft could be worth 35 billion US dollars (£27 billion) to the aviation industry and cut fares for passengers, according to research. Analysis by investment bank UBS found that technology to enable remotely controlled planes carrying people and cargo could appear by 2025. Almost three-quarters of the economic benefit would be in airlines reducing the cost of employing pilots, the study found. Safety would also be boosted as the potential for pilot error or illness would be removed, the report said. In the US, passengers could benefit by air fares being cut by as much as 11 per cent, UBS said.