Received a message from our union today -

“the MEC received a comprehensive briefing on the growing threat of Reduced Crew Operations (RCO) to our profession and to safety. This briefing, as well as a similar one presented at the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA) Conference in May, detailed three levels of automation being pursued, developed, and potentially deployed in the coming years:
Extended Minimum Crew Operations (eMCO) – Removal of additional augmented crewmembers, with a single pilot on the flight deck during the cruise portion of extended range flights while the other crewmember rests

Single Pilot Operations (SiPO) – Elimination of the requirement to have two pilots on the flight deck during all phases of flight, with a single pilot supplemented by automation

Full Automation – Entirely self-flying aircraft, with no pilots required

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is soon expected to release a working group report on aircraft automation, but the organization has already proposed an aggressive potential RCO rollout timeline, with eMCO beginning as early as 2027, SiPO by 2030, and pilot-less automated aircraft by 2035. Airbus is already developing technology to support eMCO and SiPO for the A350, while Boeing is looking further into the future and targeting full automation technology for their next generation fleets. “

This timeline seems pretty optimistic and ambitious. But it is also a good reality check. It’s coming; not if, but when. Curious what others think about this proposed timeline? Obviously it will hit the cargo world first; and maybe this a realistic timeline for cargo ops. Maybe another 5-10 years beyond this proposed timeline for passenger ops? Thoughts?