June 6, 20188 yr From BBC Emirates Airline has unveiled a new First Class Suite on board its latest aircraft that features virtual windows. Instead of being able to see directly outside, passengers view images projected in from outside the aircraft using fibre-optic cameras. The airline says it paves the way for removing all windows from future planes, making them lighter and faster. Airline president Sir Tim Clark said: "The quality of the imagery is so good, it's better than with the natural eye." The virtual windows can be seen in the first class cabin of Emirates' newest Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Sir Tim told the BBC that the ultimate aim was to have planes with no windows at all. "Imagine now a fuselage as you're boarding with no windows, but when you get inside, there are windows," he said. "Now you have one fuselage which has no structural weaknesses because of windows. "The aircraft are lighter, the aircraft could fly faster, they'll burn far less fuel and fly higher." Safety concerns It may not be easy to get the technology signed off by regulators, aviation safety expert Professor Graham Braithwaite of Cranfield University told the BBC. "Being able to see outside the aircraft in an emergency is important, especially if an emergency evacuation has to take place," he said. "Flight attendants would need to check outside the aircraft in an emergency, for example for fire, before opening a door and commencing an evacuation - and anything that needed power to do this may not be easy to get certified by an aviation safety regulator," he added. Continues with video https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44383220
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