Airline passengers will give up leg room, overhead-bin space, and a healthy amount of dignity in exchange for a lower airfare. But many won’t give up human pilots.

A dilemma that sounds like it belongs in science fiction is one that some travelers may grapple with in the near future. “Technically speaking, remotely controlled planes carrying passengers and cargo could appear” by around 2025, the investment bank UBS said a report released Monday (Aug. 8). A switch to full automation could save the air-transportation industry $35 billion a year and cut passenger fares by around 10%.