Zurich Airport has begun operating two fully automated electric shuttles without onboard drivers or security personnel as part of a pilot project with Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide. The vehicles transport airport employees on a defined route and are monitored remotely from a control center.
The project makes Zurich Airport one of the first airports in Europe to test automated driving at Level 4, in which vehicles can perform driving tasks independently within defined operating conditions.
Automated Employee Shuttles Begin Operations
Zurich Airport said preparations for the project with WeRide began in March 2025, with the first fully automated journeys taking place in early September.
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The two electric minibuses are being used as employee shuttles and operate along a designated route on airport grounds. The route does not require the vehicles to cross aircraft taxiways.
The shuttles perform the journeys independently, without drivers or security personnel onboard. However, operations remain under remote supervision.
Employees from Swissport and Krummen Kerzers monitor the vehicles from a remote cockpit and can intervene when necessary.
“The former safety drivers have been trained for this new role and will accompany operations remotely going forward,” Zurich Airport said.
Level 4 Automation Requires Extensive Preparation
The airport said extensive regulatory, safety and technical requirements had to be fulfilled before the vehicles could begin operating at the targeted automation level.
The current pilot represents Level 4 automation, allowing the shuttles to operate without an onboard driver within their defined operating environment while maintaining remote oversight.
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The approach is also intended to provide experience with the operational and regulatory requirements associated with deploying automated vehicles in complex airport environments.
Automation Could Address Staff Shortages
Coralie Klaus Boecker, head of the ZRH Innovation Hub at Flughafen Zürich AG, said automated vehicles could help airports respond to emerging labor shortages.
“We are very pleased with this achievement. The gradual automation of vehicles can make an important contribution for airports given the emerging shortage of skilled workers. For us, it was therefore essential to lay the necessary groundwork early on. In doing so, we are creating the conditions, not only for ourselves but also for our partners, for the safe deployment of automated vehicles at the airport.”
Raphaël Glaesener, senior innovation manager at Flughafen Zürich AG, emphasized that automation would change rather than eliminate human roles.
“Automated driving does not mean that people disappear. But the tasks change. Operations will also become more efficient, because in the future one employee will be able to monitor several buses.”
Pilot Scheduled Through 2026
The operation of the two automated shuttles is currently scheduled to continue until the end of 2026. The project partners are also evaluating whether to extend the pilot.
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Regardless of the final duration, Zurich Airport said the experience gained from the project will provide a foundation for the potential deployment of additional automated vehicles in the future.
The pilot therefore represents an initial step toward integrating higher levels of vehicle automation into airport transport operations while maintaining human oversight through remote control systems.
