Sound like a pipedream? Nope. As battery technology improves, it may become feasible. Researchers at MIT have managed to fly a 5 meter plane for short distances...using ion drive.
In the past, ion drive in a gravity well has been impractical because of the weight of the batteries needed. That's no longer true. And while their 9 second, 45 meter flight might seem unimpressive...
...it's worth remembering that the first flight at Kitty Hawk lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet. Look where we've come from there.
The design may look quite different, though. Ion drive in an atmosphere requires a large wingspan to work, meaning that something like the Boeing blended wing design might work:
The downside of this plane design: Lots more middle seats. But VR/AR might make them a lot less unpleasant.
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