Self-driving Commercial Planes Just Took Another Step Towards Reality

Forget about self-driving cars. What about self-flying airplanes?

Well, on the one hand, that already exists in some capacity. Most commercial aircraft have an autopilot system that can autonomously control certain aspects of flight in the cruise stage. And some even have an autolanding system that, you guessed it, automates certain aspects of landing. But takeoff is entirely human-controlled — for now, anyway.

Aircraft manufacturer Embraer just announced the Embraer Enhanced Takeoff System (E2TS) at the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K., the first automated takeoff system in the commercial aviation industry. The software, which is designed for its E2 family of aircraft, is scheduled to debut in late 2025.

So how does E2TS work? In a nutshell, it calculates and executes the most precise and efficient rotation — that is, when the plane’s nose lifts off the runway. In doing so, Embraer jets with E2TS will be able to maximize takeoffs by reducing the length of runway traveled during takeoff (which is crucial at airports with short runways) and reducing the workload of the pilot during takeoff.

Pilots, however, will still need to be behind the controls for the entire process, just as they must be with autopilot and autoland. While E2TS will handle rotation, the pilot must initiate the takeoff roll (throttling down the runway), manually correct heading if necessary (keeping the nose of the plane straight on the runway), and keep their hands on the yoke (“steering wheel”) in case they need to override autopilot at any point. 

With the efficiency of E2TS, Embraer jets will actually gain range — they’ll be able to fly up to 575 miles farther, expanding their potential route network. And they’ll also reduce the risk of tail strikes (when an aircraft’s tail hits the runway as the nose lifts up).

For now, E2TS is limited to the E2 family of Embraer jets. Though no U.S. airline currently has E2 planes in its fleet, the aircraft is flown by international airlines like KLM Cityhopper, based in the Netherlands; Azul Brazilian Airlines, based in Brazil; and Porter Airlines, based in Canada.