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mk  ·  4738 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: When Will We Have Unmanned Commercial Airliners?
I don't know about pointless, but I can agree that the motivation to do so is less than the costs at this point.

However, there must be a lot to be saved by not having to rotate pilots due to rest or limiting radiation exposure. That has to be a substantial motivation.

Maybe instead of pilots, once it can be demonstrated that the plane can fly itself, maybe there will only need to be 'cockpit technicians' which they can justify paying half as much. Or, maybe there will be just one pilot on the ground monitoring multiple airplanes in the air. If one needs intervention, that pilot can grab the controls.