The Future of Airplanes Might Mean More Screens and Less Windows


By Gina D’Amico

Staff Reporter

Imagine going on a plane with no windows to be able to look out of.

“Personally I would freak out and feel claustrophobic,” said sophomore Brooke Dado. “Sadly, I am always that person on planes that want to look out the window to see everything. With having windows on planes, I feel a sense of comfort with what is going on outside the plane. A plane without windows is like being on a rollercoaster underground.”

The Centre for Process Information is changing the future of flying. The CPI is focusing on creating a windowless jet that lets flyers determine their journey. The jet will have a display on the interior walls of the cabin that will allow flyers to get and choose what view they would like to see.

According to, “Images would be relayed from a series of cameras mounted on the fuselage, potentially giving each display an uninterrupted view of the exterior (avoiding the wings and engines). Users in any seat will be able to select views from any side of the aircraft. It would not be necessary to reflect the actual view seen from a seat, so the cameras could be mounted in the most aerodynamically efficient positions on the aircraft. The lighting panels would allow the color changes associated with sunrise and sunset to be controlled on long-haul journeys, helping passengers to adjust to time zone differences.”

“I feel this would make planes almost like a panoramic sunroof in the car—if there were monitors on the roof,” said sophomore Samantha Marino. “I feel like it would be very innovative and more people could watch and enjoy as they fly, as typically there is only one window seat and only the person at the window can see what’s going on outside.”

Furthermore, safety can be an issue raised while thinking about a plane without windows. Sophomore Stavros Xanthacos thinks he would feel safer with windows on a plane rather than monitors.

“A plane with just cameras broadcasting the outside view takes away from the experience of flying,” said Xanthacos. “Now you may be wondering why it takes away from the experience of flying because you still get to see outside. But what if the cameras fail? Next thing you know, you’re sitting in an aluminum cylinder going 300 mph in the sky and not being able to see your surroundings. When you drive in a car on a road trip, you like to look out the window and see the scenery fly by. I’d like to do the same flying.”

Not only does this new, innovative design offer a new experience flying, but it also reduces the weight of the aircraft and the amount of fuel needed.

“Weight is a constant issue on any aircraft,” according to “Over 80% of the fully laden weight of a commercial airliner is the aircraft itself and its fuel. For every 1% reduction in weight, the approximate fuel saving is 0.75%. If you save weight, you save fuel. And less fuel means less CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and lower operational cost.”

“I was a little skeptical about planes not having windows,” said senior Mikaela Sherlock. “Half the fun of flying is getting to look out and see the clouds and ocean below you. However, if this new design could help reduce the amount of fuel burned and emitted into the air we breathe, I think it has the potential to be an amazing idea. Who doesn’t love a cheaper plane ticket?”


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