Photo: Contributed - Google

The head of a project that is developing commercial drones predicts the day will come when passenger aircraft will fly without pilots.

Dave Vos, head of Google's Project Wing, says it's completely doable and the 54-year-old predicts it will happen in his lifetime.

Vos made his comments at the start of a three-day symposium on remotely piloted aircraft systems that's being hosted in Montreal by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Project Wing develops a delivery system that uses self-flying vehicles to quickly and safely transport goods.

ICAO council president Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu said today the presence of unmanned aircraft has been gradually increasing and has now reached a point of real concern for the safety of manned aviation.

In his opening remarks, he told industry and government representatives that a comprehensive framework is needed so drones can be integrated into aircraft operations safely and efficiently.