Hi!

Please refer to this chart that shows the accidents/incident rates over time and their incredible trend towards zero!

https://i.imgur.com/PVaPAdX.png

That didn't happen just by itself!

It has more to do with the introduction of Crew Resource Management than anything else, many airlines still fly 30 year old aircraft without fancy automation. Recall AF447 where the over-reliance on automation caused a tragedy when it failed and of course the MCAS debacle where the automation was directly implicated. There is room for a more nuanced answer here.

> many airlines still fly 30 year old aircraft without fancy automation

Those planes have been retrofitted over time or are in significantly decreasing use for passenger aircraft.

Over reliance on automation is an issue, to be sure, but in the macro sense, it is one part of a significant downtrend in fatalities.

are you sure that X years ago airlines didn't fly 30 year old aircraft as well? only those planes were 30 y/o *at the time*?

Given the general hostility on HN towards ATC, General Aviation, county airports and old planes you can safely presume all those future planes will be using autopilots only. Because we sure as hell won’t have any new humans qualified to operate the machinery.

Just imagine that automated future. MCAS everywhere! We should start the debate now which language all that automation should be written.

I haven't noticed this hostility. Where did you see it?

Are you using "aviation expert" sarcastically? Because the Allied Pilots Association is reportedly concerned about this and I think it's fair to say there are some aviation experts in that group.