a day ago
Dubai: Driverless vehicles to transport luggage to flight at Al Maktoum International
The next time you fly out of Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC), watch out for driverless baggage tractors transporting your luggage to your flight. Air and travel services provider dnata said Tuesday that it has deployed a fleet of autonomous vehicles at the airport for ground handling services.
The six electric tractors – the EZTow model developed by TractEasy – tow up to four baggage containers (ULDs) at a time at speeds of up to 15 km/h, following predefined routes.
Traditionally, baggage is transported between the terminal and aircraft by human drivers operating under tight time constraints.
'With these new vehicles now in service, and as they become integrated into operations, staff who previously drove baggage tractors can be reassigned to more complex, value-added tasks, supporting faster turnarounds. At the same time, autonomous driving reduces the risk of human error, making airside operations safer for everyone on the ramp,' dnata said.
The Dh6 million (US$1.6 million) project deployment begins with Level 3 autonomy, which involves minimal human oversight. This will be upgraded to Level 4 autonomy defined by full self-driving capabilities in controlled environments in early 2026.
dnata, TractEasy, Dubai Airports, and the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) worked together for a year to create a new regulatory framework for autonomous vehicle operations in airside environments.
Authorities see the deployment as a trial to test different operating models for autonomous ground handling. The aim is to identify the most effective approach for wider rollout especially as DWC expands into what is set to become the world's largest airport, with capacity for up to 260 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo annually.
Jaffar Dawood, Divisional Senior Vice President for UAE Airport Operations at dnata, 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.'
According to IATA, autonomous ground support equipment (GSE) trials are currently underway in more than 15 countries.
