Airbus: Unmanned aeroplanes; no way

Airbus CEO: Technology Shouldn't Replace Pilots

"You can always find examples where having a pilot in the loop will be the determining factor."
Those are the words of Fabrice Bregier, the chief executive officer of Airbus' commercial airliner unit, as quoted in a story by Bloomberg and other media outlets. Bregier was speaking to reporters at a briefing in Paris over the weekend.

In the aftermath of the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 last month, some in the airline industry have publicly questioned whether having more automation in the cockpit would have prevented what happened. Prosecutors allege that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately locked the captain out of the flight deck after he got up to use the restroom, and that Lubitz then intentionally descended the plane and slammed it into the side of the French Alps, killing all 150 on board.
Bregier said the role of pilots is critical.