Frankfurt Could one day only one pilot sit in the cockpit and steer the jet in passenger jets? It’s not entirely out of the question. This is shown in a current working paper by the United Nations Aviation Organization (ICAO). It deals with ways to reduce the flying crew.
The paper has four pages and addresses “new concepts” on how flight operations can be ensured with a reduced cockpit crew, for example during cruising. The safety level of the previous operation should be guaranteed or exceeded. At the end of the process there could be what is known as the single-pilot cockpit, an aircraft in which only one pilot sits in the cockpit, even during take-off and landing.
The European aviation authority EASA, air traffic control Eurocontrol and the EU member states had asked ICAO to take on the issue. Nevertheless, the one-pilot cockpit is unlikely to become reality any time soon. Not only the acceptance of the passengers is a problem.
Airlines put pressure on and want to save costs
The ICAO experts therefore expressly point out that the topic is complex and very far-reaching. It’s not about simply changing two crew members to one, according to the working paper. “It’s a paradigm shift to a pilot flying alone at the controls of a large commercial aircraft.”
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According to Gerald Wissel from the consulting firm Airborne Consulting, the fact that this extremely sensitive topic, which has been discussed for many years, is now coming more into focus is also due to the progress made in flight taxis: “In essence, it is about the way towards autonomous flying. And even then, a pilot will have to be on board for the time being. So that’s still a long way to go.”
However, the pressure is also growing. Airlines hope to cut costs with just one pilot on board. And it would solve a growing problem: the pilot shortage. The US manufacturer Boeing estimates that a good 600,000 new pilots will be needed worldwide by 2041.
Any relief in the cockpit is therefore welcome. “The single-pilot cockpit does not automatically mean that there is only one pilot on board immediately,” says consultant Wissel. There will still be a second one for the time being. “He can provide support, but he doesn’t have to fly, which in turn reduces his operational time. This system alone would give the airlines more flexibility in crew planning.”
The manufacturers are also driving the issue. Airbus, for example, is considering allowing the planned freighter version of the A350 to be operated with only one pilot. According to previous plans, the aircraft should go into operation in 2025, by then it could also work with the certification of the “one-man cockpit”.
> >Read about this: Air traffic control fuels debate over single-pilot cockpits
“If so, then in commercial aviation this will be realized first in freight traffic, I don’t see that in passenger traffic for the time being,” says consultant Wissel, adding: “There is a lack of the necessary acceptance among the population.”
In fact, the willingness of passengers to board a plane with only one pilot on board is likely to be rather low. The disaster surrounding the Boeing 737 Max showed everyone how difficult and delicate it is to largely leave control of the aircraft to computer systems. They were programmed so aggressively in the Max that pilots were unable to take countermeasures when in doubt – also because they knew too little about the systems. Two jets crashed, killing 346 people.
The manufacturer is considering allowing the planned freighter version of the aircraft for single-pilot operations as well.
(Photo: Reuters)
Without further automation, however, the idea of the “single-pilot cockpit” will not work. The ICAO experts believe that this is technically feasible and refer to the car industry and the ever-improving assistance systems.
Numerous systems are already installed in modern jets that relieve the pilots of work. The Airbus A350, for example, is capable of automatically initiating an emergency descent in the event of a pressure drop in the cabin. The jet can also automatically avoid the other aircraft if a collision is imminent.
The aircraft also has an emergency system in the event of a hydraulic failure. In case of doubt, the systems can intercept the jet without the pilot having to intervene, because the decisive control elements such as flaps also have their own servomotors.
However, the ICAO working paper raises a number of questions. What if, for example, the pilot has to go to the toilet and temporarily no one is monitoring the instruments and systems? On long flights, the pilot could also tire more quickly, there is no person in the cockpit to talk to who can always keep an eye on the condition of his or her colleague.
In the eyes of the ICAO, however, the failure of the pilot for health reasons weighs much more heavily. Such cases are by no means rare. On November 22, a US regional airline Envoy captain collapsed and died during a flight.
Remote surveillance from the ground?
And then there are technical problems during the flight, which keep challenging the cockpit staff. In the case of particularly serious errors, this means pure stress in the pulpit. One pilot has to keep the plane in the air, the other has to work through the checklist, find the error and, if possible, fix it. Pilots’ representatives around the world point to some serious safety concerns and have therefore so far rejected the cockpit with only one pilot.
In principle, such crisis situations could be dealt with by supporting the ground staff. It is technically feasible for the systems in the aircraft to implement the instructions from air traffic controllers. But this in turn requires a stable communication connection that is, above all, protected against hackers. The technology used so far cannot do this.
Such a concept also requires different skills from the ground staff. According to the ICAO, this will possibly mean higher costs and must be taken into account when considering the economic advantages of the “single-pilot cockpit”.
It is not the only place where there may be additional costs instead of savings. According to the ICAO, a largely computer-controlled jet will result in a different role for the pilot. He would have to become a system manager, which in turn “could lead to an increased risk,” especially in the phase in which this technology is being introduced.
One question that has not yet been answered is that of future pilot training, adds advisor Wissel: “How, for example, is a co-pilot supposed to gain the necessary experience on the way to becoming a captain if only one person is sitting in the cockpit?” The entire training would then have to be restructured.
More: Autonomous flying: “A computer fights less for its life than a human”