Zurich Airport tests autonomous e-shuttles
On the grounds of Zurich Airport, two fully automated electric shuttles operate without drivers or security staff. The minibuses are monitored from a control center. This makes Zurich one of the first airports in Europe to test autonomous driving at this level.
Image: Zurich Airport
In a statement, Zurich Airport says it has been preparing this project with the Chinese company WeRide since March 2025. The first fully automated trips took place at the beginning of September. The vehicles used in this pilot program serve as employee shuttles and operate on a designated route, avoiding aircraft taxiways.
According to the initiators, the vehicles handle the trips independently. However, staff from partner companies Swissport and Krummen Kerzers monitor operations from a remote control center and can intervene if necessary. “The previous safety drivers have been trained for this new role and will oversee operations remotely from now on,” the statement says.
To test at this level, comprehensive regulations, safety requirements, and technical conditions were necessary in advance. The step taken now corresponds to the desired automation level of 4, according to the officials.
Coralie Klaus Boecker, Head of ZRH Innovation Hub at Flughafen Zürich AG, commented: “We are very pleased with this achievement. The gradual automation of vehicles can make an important contribution to airports facing an impending shortage of skilled workers. Therefore, it was crucial for us to establish the necessary foundations early on. This creates conditions not only for us but also for our partners to safely deploy automated vehicles at the airport.”
Raphaël Glaesener, Senior Innovation Manager at Flughafen Zürich AG, added:
"Autonomous driving doesn’t mean that people will disappear. But the tasks are changing. Operations will also become more efficient, as one employee will be able to monitor multiple buses in the future."
The operation of the two shuttle buses is currently planned until the end of 2026. The continuation of this innovation project with these two vehicles is currently being discussed with the project partners, it says. Regardless of this, the insights gained from the pilot project are intended to serve as a foundation for the future use of additional autonomous vehicles at Zurich Airport.