Do you have an idea for boarding a passenger plane without windows? What do you say, did they have digital displays displaying from the outside instead?

Emirate President Tim Clark spoke about virtual windows in an interview with BBC

And no, this is not just the crazy concept described in the recently awarded patent. The first virtual windows are already here, in the first class cabin of the newest Emirates of the Boeing 777-300ER (shown above).

Clark said external fiber optic cameras are sending images to virtual windows, apparently offering high-quality images that are better than what you see when looking through the plane's normal window.

The Emirate president said that "there is absolutely no reason" why we can not have passenger planes fully equipped with virtual windows in the near future. Cabins without windows would give the aircraft greater structural integrity while making it lighter, enabling faster flights and increased fuel savings, Clark said.

However, as the BBC points out, the project could raise safety concerns. For example, in an emergency situation, such as a fire, cabin crew must be seen outside the aircraft to assess the situation before starting evacuation procedures. If the aircraft's power system fails, it can turn off the displays, leaving the crew and passengers stuck in a truly windowless and probably dark aircraft

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When asked about this apparent obstacle, the European Aviation Safety Agency stated that it did not see "any specific challenge that can not be overcome" using virtual windows on a passenger plane.

While some passengers of the first-class Emirates have the opportunity to try virtual windows, it will probably take some time before the completely windowless aircraft – which look very much like the freight aircraft from the outside – take off hundreds of passengers inside.

This technology is reminiscent of the Airbus concept from a few years ago for cockpit windows without windows. The aircraft manufacturer suggested in a patent – which you may or do not want to describe as "crazy" – that it would be beneficial to move the cockpit to the back of the aircraft. It is said that having it in front reduces the aerodynamic properties of the aircraft due to the complex shape and structure needed to maintain it. The weight of the reinforced window also increases the overall weight of the aircraft, reducing its fuel consumption.

As with the Emirates project, on-board cameras transmitted real-time video and pre-stored data to displays in the cockpit, providing pilots with all the visual information they need.