Press release / boeing announces first drone passenger jet

PRESS RELEASE / Boeing announces first drone passenger jet

The Chicago Times 350 N. Orleans St., 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654  Ph: 312-321-3000 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BOEING’S NEWEST: FEND FOR YOURSELF Boeing announces first ever drone passenger jet and changes the way people will fly. Chicago, Illinois – Saturday, April 16, 2011. – In a surprising turn of events, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft announced the debut of the world’s first drone passenger jet, in the fall of 2012. A drone, or an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, is an aircraft flown by a pilot or a navigator, without a human crew on board. While such an aircraft is usually used for military purposes, it is the first time such a concept has been introduced in commercial flying. Explaining this decision, Mike Smith, Chairman of the project team says, “ The Drone Passenger Jet is the best solution to short term flying. Today, many commutes don’t last more than a couple of hours and it is quite unnecessary to have a cabin crew on board. People are familiar with the concept of flying and don’t need to be baby-sit on a plane.” Ashton Jones, Vice Chairman adds, “ Flying is as commonplace as driving today. You don’t need someone to chaperone you when someone’s driving you, so why an airplane?” The Drone Passenger Jet will be flown by a pilot and navigator for assistance. Everything will be completely mechanized, from availability of water and snacks on board to the showing people the emergency exits. An AV will be prepared, that will guide the passengers about the various things they need to know on board, very similar to the introduction given by the cabin crew at the onset of every flight. This new introduction to the Boeing family has met with mixed response. While airlines are excited about the costs they will be cutting down in terms of hiring and maintaining their cabin crew, they are also worried about the maintenance of the passengers and the reactions of passengers in cases of air crises. Says R. Samuel, spokesperson, Qatar Airways, “ Our cabin crew is not just made up of pretty faces. They are trained to calm down the passengers in case of any kind of air crisis. People still get worried sick even with a little turbulence, and no matter how common air travel has become, people still get airsick and need some care and attention. People all around still relate to air travel as something of a luxury. They are taken care of en-route and they like it, that’s what they pay for!” The management of domestic airline company, United Airlines, however, says that this just might work. James P., spokesperson believes that, “ For domestic routes that last only up to a couple of hours to the most, this is a good solution. People on these flights are more often than not businessmen rushing from one meeting to another and usually either catching up on sleep or working on a presentation. They do not need to be mollycoddled; most of them in fact seem to loathe it. Introducing a Drone Passenger Jet is a very ambitious idea and if we can pull it off, it will change the way we fly.” The most disappointed are, the most obviously, cabin crew aspirants who feel they are being cheated out of jobs. This move might result in the loss of jobs for a lot of employees, but as they say, every great invention has its downside. Contact: Jill O’Brien obrien. jill@thechicagotimes. com 350 N. Orleans St., 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654 Ph: 312-321-3000 #### REFERENCE: boeing. com. About Us. Retrieved on April 17, 2011, from http://www. boeing. com/companyoffices/aboutus/