Will autopilot replace pilots?

Tsourdos says it is highly unlikely that we will have commercial flights without pilots any time soon. “The role of the pilots may change through the years, so they will be supervisors. I think from the safety and resilience point of view, it's unlikely they'll disappear,” he says.



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Robotic pilots will probably take the position of human pilots, although a human pilot will still be needed to control the aircraft. AI or Robots can replace a pilot, but when? Aviation technology applications are not always created with human interaction in mind.

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It's worth noting that pilots are probably the furthest from being replaced by AI. First, countless legal, regulatory, and safety requirements need to be met. New laws would have to be written and tested to allow AI-controlled aircraft, which could take many years. Then, there is public perception to consider.

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Boeing Forecast
Trusted by more than 100 aviation regulatory agencies worldwide, the current Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook concludes that the aviation industry will need to supply more than 602,000 commercial airline pilots worldwide over the next 20 years2.

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No. A lot more development is still needed to bring unmanned aircraft up to the capabilities of manned aircraft. And manned aircraft are still very effective and have a number of considerable advantages at present. The other factor is that airforce leaders want to maintain men under their command rather than robots.

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Over the next 10-15 years, the global pilot workforce will undergo a dramatic change. Aviation is continuing to grow, creating a demand for pilots that exceeds supply in most places; at the same time, an increasing number of pilots in the baby-boom generation are reaching mandatory retirement age.

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On any given flight, the autopilot is engaged for around 98% of the time that the aircraft is airborne.

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Despite the short-term decline in the number of active pilots, analysis shows that the civil aviation industry will require more than 260,000 new pilots over the next decade. As air travel resumes progressively over the next several years, the industry will experience upward mandatory retirement and attrition rates.

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Job Outlook Overall employment of airline and commercial pilots is projected to grow 4 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 16,800 openings for airline and commercial pilots are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

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Regarding magnitude, in our most likely scenarios, there is a global gap of 34,000 pilots by 2025. This could be as high as 50,000 in the most extreme scenarios. Eventually, the impact of furloughs, retirements, and defections will create very real challenges for even some of the biggest carriers.

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The answer is no. While some airlines have an age requirement before you can fly a commercial flight, there's no age limit in wanting to become a pilot.

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Aside from the realities of the physics of flight, people will always want to be on the move. Demand for air travel will keep growing in the foreseeable future, according to IATA, whose recent figures show that demand is expected to reach 94% of 2019 levels in 2023 and will increase to 103% in 2024 and 111% in 2025.

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Unlike other professions, say lawyers or sales agents, airline pilots are generally loved and respected. There is just so much respect for the profession that not a few would regard it a personal honor to be in acquaintance with a pilot.

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