(1)    Passenger planes could be flown without a pilot in the next decade according to a new study.

(2)    The research was conducted by investment bank UBS, which found that new

        technology is being developed that would make remotely flying an aircraft  feasible in the near future .

(3)    Pilotless planes could be a boon for airlines as it would save them £27 billion

        and slash fares for passengers, who could see prices drop by over 10 per cent.

        The report said: "The average percentage of total cost and average benefit

        that could be passed onto passengers in price reduction for the US airlines is

        11 per cent." Savings on European flights would be less at an average of 4 per cent. 

(4)    The biggest savings will come from reducing the cost of employing pilots.

        UBS estimated that pilots cost the industry £24 billion a year. The study

        predicts flights will be safer as the potential for pilot error will be removed.

(5)    Air passengers, however, seem nervous about travelling in a remote

        controlled plane. More than half of the 8,000 people surveyed by UBS (54 per cent)

        said they would refuse to fly in a plane with no pilot, even if the flight cost less.

(6)    Respondents between 18 and 34 and those who had a university degree were

        more willing to fly without a pilot. The report said: ' This bodes well for the

        technology as the population ages."

(7)    UBS suggested that initially the traditional two pilot set-up will be reduced

        to one on board pilot and one pilot on the ground. Commercial jets already

        use computers for many functions including take-off, cruise and landing.

(8)    However, not everyone is so convinced by these technological developments.

        Steve Landells, BALPA flight safety specialist and former pilot, said: "We

        have concerns that in the excitement of this futuristic. idea, some may be

        forgetting the reality of pilotless air travel. Computers ·can· fail, and often do

        and someone is still going to be needed to work that computer. Most of us

        own some sort -of electronic device that can do amazing things - however, a

        human is still required to operate it."

How does Steve Landells feel about the pilotless flight?