Both fatal accidents and aircraft hijackings are extremely rare relative to the number of flights operating worldwide. That’s why the recent shocking incident involving a flydubai flight has made international headlines, raising fresh questions about airline safety and pilot screening.
At the same time, airlines are looking toward artificial intelligence to improve operations and make flying more efficient. But as the technology advances, some travelers may wonder whether it could eventually replace human pilots and what that would mean for their safety.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian has a clear message for those concerned about AI taking over the cockpit.
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Delta CEO Ed Bastian says ‘there will never be less than two pilots’ in a cockpit
In a recent interview with CBS News, Bastian firmly stated that the airline would keep two pilots in the cockpit under his leadership.
“There will never be less than two pilots in a Delta cockpit as long as I’m here,” Bastian said, adding that he expects this to remain the case “for a very long time.”
For travelers, that is a clear signal that Delta intends to keep human pilots at the center of flight operations as AI technology advances. Bastian said the airline wants to use technology to make pilots’ jobs easier and safer, not remove them from the cockpit.
Bastian’s position is consistent with that of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which has argued against single-pilot operations in commercial aviation.
In a white paper, the union said airliners need “at least two experienced, well-trained, and well-rested pilots in the cockpit.” As a union representing pilots, ALPA has a professional interest in the debate, so its position should be considered in that context.
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Researchers who study how pilots react under pressure also see a role for a second human in the cockpit.
“Removing a pair of eyes comes at a cost,” warned James Blundell, an aviation human factors researcher at Cranfield University in the U.K., according to Communications of the ACM.
Bastian also said AI could improve the travel experience in other ways. Delta hopes the technology will help employees find answers faster and solve problems more efficiently. For passengers, that could mean quicker help when flights are disrupted or travel plans go wrong.
But keeping pilots in the cockpit is only one part of Delta’s approach to artificial intelligence. Bastian sees AI as a tool that could change other parts of the travel experience, from helping employees solve problems faster to influencing how the airline sets ticket prices.
Delta sees AI as a way to improve service and ticket pricing
As I recently reported for TheStreet, Bastian has also discussed how AI could help Delta improve its pricing strategy and increase profitability. The technology may help the airline make smarter decisions about fares, predict demand, and determine when discounted tickets might encourage more travelers to book.
For passengers, that could mean more opportunities to find cheaper tickets. But lower fares are not guaranteed.
Delta says its pricing system adjusts fares based on demand and seat availability rather than using personal data to set individual ticket prices.
The strategy could help Delta increase revenue while offering discounts when they are most likely to attract customers. Whether travelers ultimately save money will depend on how the airline uses the technology and how competing airlines respond.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian says “there will never be less than two pilots” in a cockpit.Douglas Rissing / Getty Images
Delta Air Lines is not seeing any demand slowdown despite price increases
The latest CBS interview comes as travelers face higher airfares driven in part by rising fuel costs linked to the Iran war.
Bastian said Delta expects its oil costs to be about $6 billion higher than a year earlier. He said the airline has not yet seen a slowdown in demand, with holiday bookings and reservations for early next year remaining strong.
“Consumers understand why prices are up,” Bastian told CBS.
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