Emirates could soon introduce completely windowless planes.
The UAE-based airline has just introduced virtual windows for some first class passengers on its latest Boeing 777-300ER aircrafts.
First class passengers in middle suites on board the new aircrafts will now have ‘virtual windows’ with images from outside the plane projected onto their suite wall using fibre-optic cameras.
This could just be the beginning for virtual windows in planes as Emirates president, Sir Tim Clark, has revealed a windowless plane could become a reality sooner than we think.
Clark told the BBC that the goal is to have no windows at all and that the virtual windows were “so good, it’s better than the natural eye”.
He continued: “Imagine now a fuselage as you’re boarding with no windows, but when you get inside, there are windows.
“The aircraft are lighter, the aircraft could fly faster, they’ll burn far less fuel and fly higher.”
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At last week’s Annual General Meeting of the International Air Transport Association, it was predicted that fuel prices will increase by 25 per cent this year alone.
Taking windows out of aircrafts would make them lighter which would reduce fuel and construction costs – which, in turn, would keep flight prices down.
While an advantage of having a windowless plane would mean the aircraft is stronger as windows are considered a structural weakness, a disadvantage would be passengers wouldn’t be able to alert the crew if they saw something amiss outside their window. The reason cabin crew dim the lights for take off and landing, plus ask that all window blinds remain open, is so that everyone on board can see any hazards or emergency situations outside.
There are certainly pros and cons to having a windowless plane, but as our eyes are generally trying to sleep or firmly fixed on the screen in front of us, would it really make that much difference?
