Zurich Airport’s Autonomous Shuttles
Zurich Airport has taken a new step in the deployment of autonomous vehicles by launching operations with two electric shuttles that do not carry a safety driver on board. The project, developed in partnership with the Chinese autonomous driving specialist WeRide, allows both vehicles to operate within the airport grounds in a controlled environment, under supervision from a remote control center.
Fully automated operations began in early September, following a development and testing phase that started in March 2025. The project has been rolled out progressively to meet the technical, safety, and regulatory requirements needed to achieve the target level of automation, and the vehicles have already covered more than 15,000 km.
Driverless.
This new phase is significant because the safety driver is no longer inside the vehicle; instead, supervision takes place from a remote control center located at the ZRH Innovation Hub. From there, an operator can monitor the shuttles' performance and intervene if a situation requiring assistance arises. The system is also designed to automatically stop the vehicle upon detecting an unexpected obstacle. In such cases, the remote operator can assess the situation and provide driving support if necessary.
The two shuttles follow a defined route within the airport grounds, connecting the employee entrance at Gate 101 with the maintenance area at Gate 130, with several stops along the way. The vehicles do not cross aircraft taxiways during the route, thereby limiting interaction with one of the most operationally complex areas of an airport.
Coralie Klaus Boecker, Head of the ZRH Innovation Hub at Zurich Airport, stated: "We are pleased to announce that we have reached a significant milestone in our efforts. The gradual automation of vehicles can make a significant contribution to airports, given the growing shortage of skilled personnel. We therefore consider it essential to lay the necessary groundwork at an early stage." In this way, we are establishing the conditions—both for ourselves and for our partners—that will enable the safe deployment of automated vehicles at the airport.
No passengers.
Although the driverless safety system is already operational, the first stage of this Level 4 autonomous operation is being conducted without passengers on board. The aim of this initiative is to evaluate the shuttles' performance under this new configuration before resuming employee transport services—a step expected to take place after a period of approximately four weeks.
The project's evolution demonstrates a gradual process of increasing autonomy. The first phase began with a safety driver in the driver's seat. Subsequently, human supervision shifted to the rear seat, and the role of remote control was progressively increased, leading to the current setup where no safety personnel are present inside the vehicles.
The project is initially scheduled to run until the end of 2026, although the partners are considering a possible extension of the program involving both units. The goal is not merely to demonstrate the vehicles' autonomous driving capabilities but also to use the test results to determine how the use of automated vehicles within the airport could be expanded in the future.
"Automated driving does not mean the disappearance of drivers, but rather a transformation of their roles. Operations will become more efficient, as a single employee will be able to supervise multiple buses in the future," notes Raphaël Glaesener, Senior Innovation Manager at Zurich Airport.
