Zurich Airport is set to be one of Europe’s first airports to launch an autonomous bus shuttle service in the coming weeks.
Following collaboration with the mobility testing network Swiss Transit Lab, airport operator Flughafen Zürich AG is scheduled to run a pilot project in Q1 2025 to improve the ease of airline employees commuting on the airport grounds.
The self-driving Robobus – developed by Chinese autonomous technology provider WeRide – will supplement the existing airside shuttle service for employees of companies that operate at the Swiss airport, and is designed to give them a more regular connection to their workplace.
“We want to gain experience with the use of automated vehicles in the airport environment,” Senior Innovation Manager of Zurich Airport Ltd Raphael Glaesener told Zag Daily. “This will help us to work out standards for this innovative technology which is important for all airport partners operating airside who want to use such technologies in the future.
“Automated vehicles can contribute positively in becoming even more efficient in the future. This test is meant to understand the potential and to define future use cases.”
During the first phase of the project, the nine-passenger Robobus will transport airport staff from the employee entrance at Gate 101 to the maintenance area at Gate 130. A safety driver will be on board to monitor the system before remotely monitored journeys are tested in a possible second phase.
The duration of the project is unknown, and a second phase will depend on a successful first phase. While it’s too early to predict the impact of the project, Raphael said he believes automation can help to improve efficiency and ensure an optimal allocation of resources.
The route the Robobus will travel is separate from flight operations. It’s therefore anticipated to provide the optimal conditions to test autonomous vehicles in airport locations for the first time. A standard set of rules is then hoped to be developed for the safe and efficient operation of self-driving vehicles.
Flughafen Zürich AG is also in close contact with other European airports that are testing autonomous technologies, such as in Brussels and Amsterdam.
