Amsterdam's Schiphol airport trialling driverless buses on the tarmac
One of Europe's busiest airports has moved closer to self-driving terminal shuttles with Amsterdam Schiphol’s deployment of 2 electric autonomous buses on the tarmac.
The vehicles are being used to ferry cleaners and ground-handlers around the airport as part of an effort to "understand" how the technology works, according to Schiphol management, which will make a call next month on expanding their use.
Nine of 10 workers said they were willing to take the driverless buses again, according to a statement by the airport, which suggested the tech provided a "safe and positive experience."
The buses are made by Ohmio, a New Zealand-based business which has had autonomous buses in operation at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and on the streets of Wellington.
Other self-driving buses have recently been tried out at Newark Airport, also in the US, and at Incheon in Seoul.
Ohmio executive Mohammed Hikmet said the company was "honoured to join hands with Schiphol Airport, a leading player in Europe's aviation industry."
"This trial represents another step towards our ambition of having an emission-free and autonomous ground operation by 2050," said Jan Zekveld, head of innovation at Royal Schiphol Group, the airport’s parent company.
Schipol aims to stop night flying as part of its emission-reduction efforts, while the Dutch government has moved to cap the number of flights going into and out of the airport.
The moves have been met with opposition and lawsuits from airlines, which say they will lead to more expensive fares. Air-France KLM has labelled the changes as "incomprehensible," contending they would only drive business to rival airlines and airports.
