Editor’s note: This article was first published in January 2016 and describes a passenger-safety concept as it was circulating online at that time, when it was still at the idea stage.
Statistically, even with the considerable growth in air traffic and the plane crashes we hear about on the news, flying is still the safest way to travel. It is also true, though, that if there is an incident or a crash, it is the means of transport most likely to mean certain death for every passenger on board.
Now an idea is going around that we don’t have much information about. It is said that a company in the Middle East may have patented it, in the hope that the system will become the airline standard. And the truth is that, in the absence of other improvements, the idea could be viable and could save the lives of plane passengers.
You can see the concept in this video by Yetmir.
The system involves making the passenger cabin an independent unit, so that the plane stops being a means of transporting passengers and becomes a means of transporting a container with the passengers travelling inside it.
For a start, the idea would speed up boarding, because once the containers were full, all you would have to do is load the container into the plane.
If something failed in mid-flight or an impact was imminent, the rear of the plane would open, ready to release the container full of passengers.
The container, in turn, would have a built-in parachute system to greatly soften the impact with the ground.
And if it came down in the ocean, it would have a protection system to keep the container from sinking.
This system would not only save lives in the event of an incident in the air. If there were a problem on take-off or landing, where we have seen how quickly a plane goes up in flames because of its fuel tank, it would also stop the fire from reaching the passenger cabin.
Although for now all this is just an idea in someone’s head, the truth is that it really is an idea that could save many air travellers’ lives. Then all that would be left would be to save the pilots.
See also: 10 interesting business ideas and products to start 2016
