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If you've traveled by plane a handful of times, chances are you've been on an Airbus. The aerospace corporation's planes are some of the most commonly-used commercial aircraft in the world, comparable only with Boeing's 747 line and Antonov's An-24. Now, with a project titled DragonFly, there's a chance Airbus' passenger jets could eventually incorporate autonomous flight technology.

DragonFly is an initiative under Airbus UpNext, a division responsible for testing and validating new tech prior to rollout. In a blog post Thursday, UpNext shared that DragonFly focuses on "derisking" emergency operations by detecting issues and autonomously solving them if crew members are unable to take action. Airbus is hoping to achieve this through biomimicry, or engineering that takes inspiration from living things. It should come as no surprise that UpNext is modeling its autonomous system after an actual dragonfly, which uses its massive eyes to see in 360° and differentiate important landmarks.

"The systems we are developing and testing are similarly designed to review and identify features in the landscape that enable the aircraft to 'see' and safely maneuver within its surroundings," the division's blog post reads. At the DragonFly's core are a series of sensors, which work alongside computer algorithms to process visual data. These calculations are designed to help pilots land in low visibility and extreme weather conditions. In a situation in which the crew is busy or incapacitated, DragonFly will use these novel insights to land autonomously, redirecting to the nearest appropriate airport if necessary. UpNext claims the system will eventually reach a point where it can independently land at any airport in the world.