People Aren’t Cargo, Mate. Why Windowless Planes Are the Future of Commercial Aviation

Who needs windows, when you can feel like you’re floating? The folks at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) have developed the concept of a windowless plane. Their idea may reach production within the next ten years.

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The reasons are beyond aesthetics: they’re also economical. A fuselage without windows is lighter, so the plane consumes less fuel and the flights are cheaper. The idea of windowless planes has already been used in cargo planes, but most humans aren’t keen to sit in an enclosed tube for hours on end.

But what do we, ordinary passengers, get instead? CPI representative says that windows will be replaced by a full-length screen that translates real-time panoramic views from the outboard cameras. The screens can also be used to access the internet or watch a movie.

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For me, this design is a little bit scary and uncomfortable. I want to know what’s going on in the sky, but I also want the safety of my walls to be visible at all times. What do you think?