Emirates Seeks to Lead the Way to Windowless Planes
Instead of using conventional windows, passengers will enjoy the view on a full display of windows that will project live camera feeds on a high-definition screen
Passenger jets of the future will be safer, lighter, faster, more fuel-efficient and ... windowless. So predicts Emirates Airlines chief Tim Clark. The Dubai-based airline has already introduced virtual windows in the first-class suites of its newest planes. Instead of being able to see out a conventional window, the passengers will be able to enjoy the view on a full display of windows that will project live camera feeds on a high-definition screen. Clark said the images are "so good, it's better than with the natural eye." Clark told the BBC that the ultimate goal was to have a completely windowless plane. "Now you have a fuselage which has no structural weaknesses because of windows. The aircraft are lighter, the aircraft could fly faster, they'll burn less fuel and fly higher," he said. But Emirates' experiment has raised concerns that might not win it the votes of safety regulators. Some passengers have expressed concerns of possibly feeling claustrophobic on windowless planes.