This might be the case if a new computer system developed by British Aerospace proves to be successful. The Electronic Telegraph covers the story, in "Computer system 'can land aircraft without air traffic controllers'."

British Aerospace scientists have developed a revolutionary airborne computer system that they claim can land aircraft safely without human air traffic controllers. It will enable a pilot to determine an aircraft's landing path simply by pressing a button in the cockpit.

The new technology has been developed by BAE Systems, the British defence and aerospace company, and aims to eliminate human error, save on fuel and increase flight safety. If successful, it will also threaten the jobs of 40,000 air traffic controllers worldwide.

Here is an illustration showing how the system works (Credit: Electronic Telegraph)

When will this system be operational?

The company plans to introduce the system, which has so far cost £76 million, half of which has been funded by the European Commission, in three phases.

The first, involving the onboard computer determining the safest flight path to a position identified by a human air traffic controller, was successfully tested in March. BAE plans a full-scale trial introduction for leading airlines by 2008. By 2020, they envisage that air traffic controllers will have been entirely replaced by the system, which will take all the decisions currently made by humans.

And what about costs? The system will first be used to upgrade the technology used at the air traffic control center in Swanwick, U.K. This center cost £623 million, £200 million over budget, and is often affected by computer crashes.

Is there a reason to think that this future computer system will be more reliable than the one it replaces? I have serious doubts. This reminds me another frightening story published last year by Salon.com, which stated that Microsoft wanted us to take planes without pilots by 2030.

Source: Elizabeth Day, Electronic Telegraph, August 24, 2003

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