A cargo plane flew 50 miles with no pilot onboard using a semi-automated system. An aviation expert says the technology could address the pilot shortage.

• A cargo plane flew 50 miles with no pilot on board earlier this month.
• The Cessna 208B aircraft was remote control-operated by a pilot from a control center.
• The innovation could one day help combat a growing pilot shortage, an aviation expert told CNN. 

A common cargo plane flew a standard 50-mile route last month with no humans on board, marking a major milestone in a new era of automated aviation.

Reliable Robotics, an automation systems company based in California, touted the successful flight earlier this month after a Cessna 208B Caravan safely took off, flew, and landed with no pilot inside the plane.