Reviving these planes during a time of rising discontent with the unbridled growth of air travel has already prompted pushback. “There is complexity in that there are many vehicles flying at the same time,” said Isabel Del Pozo de Poza, director of unmanned traffic management for Airbus. “In South Texas and South Louisiana, there are 3,000 oil rigs off the coast. They have to get parts and supplies from shore to rig and from oil rig to oil rig,” Mr. Zahra said. A drone is “cheaper than a helicopter and more reliable than Bob in his boat.”

Source: International New York Times February 19, 2020 09:56 UTC