How Nationality, Weather, Wind, and Distance Affect Consumer Willingness to Fly in Autonomous Airplanes

Abstract

Several studies have examined passengers’ trust in human-operated systems versus autonomous systems. Prior studies have also reported cultural differences among individuals from India and the United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate how nationality, weather, wind, and distance affect passengers’ willingness to fly in autonomous aircraft. Participants included 161 volunteers from the United States and 137 volunteers from India. In 12 different conditions, participants were asked to rate their willingness to fly in an autonomous aircraft, given information about the weather (sunny, raining, or snowing), the wind level (no wind versus strong wind), and the flight distance (short flight versus long flight). These conditions were presented randomly to each participant. Subsequently, participants were asked qualitative, open-ended questions. The results indicated that Indian participants were generally positive about autonomous commercial flights, except in the most extreme conditions. American participants were generally negative about autonomous commercial flights, except in perfect conditions. Participants were also asked their opinions on advantages of automation, disadvantages of automation, and specific weather concerns. Implications for the findings are discussed.