15-07-2025
Driverless tractors to handle luggage at Al Maktoum International Airport
If you're flying from Dubai's second airport soon, then your luggage may well be transported without a driver in the front seat.
And that's because a new fleet of autonomous vehicles has been introduced by dnata at Al Maktoum International Airport.
dnata now operates six electric tractors at Al Maktoum International Airport, which will eventually become the world's largest capacity airport, allowing baggage to be transported.
The EZTow model tractors can move up to four baggage containers between the airport terminal and the aircraft at speeds of up to 15km/h, following pre-defined routes.
Traditionally, of course, this work has been carried out by human drivers operating under tight time constraints.
With the introduction of driverless baggage vehicles, staff who previously drove baggage tractors can now be reassigned to more complex value-added tasks.
Driverless tractors introduced to Al Maktoum International Airport (Credit: WAM)
dnata says that the introduction of autonomously driven vehicles reduces the risk of human error, making airside operations safer for everyone on the ramp.
The Dhs6 million project begins with level three autonomy, which involves minimal human oversight. By 2026, these tractors will upgrade to level four autonomy, which means that they'll have full self-driving capabilities in controlled environments.
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The project will also act as a testbed to trial and refine different operating models for autonomous ground handling as the airport prepares to eventually have capacity for up to 260 million passengers annually.
Insights gained from this rollout will have an impact on how automation will be built into the core of future airport operations at Al Maktoum International Airport.
Al Maktoum International Airport will eventually become the world's largest capacity airport (Credit: Coop Himmelb(l)au)
The rollout follows over a year of collaboration between dnata, TractEasy, Dubai Airports and the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The parties have been working together to create a new regulatory framework for autonomous vehicle operations in airside environments, which remain largely undefined at a global level.
Jaffar Dawood, Divisional Senior Vice President for UAE Airport Operations at dnata, said that the rollout could be significant for future operations.
He said: 'While autonomous vehicles have largely been limited to trials, this deployment brings the technology into regular, day-to-day operations.
'As global travel continues to rebound and operational demands increase, automation could be key to building smarter, safer and more resilient infrastructure.'
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