Inverness Airport in the north of Scotland is testing a driverless passenger vehicle to connect the airport’s railway station and the terminal building.
The distance from the station to the terminal is 1.2km, and the four-seat Auto-Pod will cover about 750m of the journey.
Currently, passengers walk the or take a bus for which there is a charge unless they have the Go-Hi app.
The trial allows passengers to ride in an autonomous vehicle from the new rail station to the airport terminal.
This Auto-Pod trial will gauge public perception of autonomous vehicles and assess the feasibility of an on-demand, low-cost and driverless service to the region.
The one week trial runs until August 30th.
Graeme Bell, General Manager for Inverness Airport:
“We are delighted to act as one of the testing grounds for the autonomous vehicle which is being used to explore the potential of a vehicle connection for passengers travelling between the railway station and the terminal building.”
The UK Government agencies Innovate UK and the UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) are funding the project.
It is a collaboration between the University of Glasgow, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS), Aurrigo International plc, Stagecoach North Scotland, and Darwin Innovation Group Ltd.
Inverness Airport had just over 800,000 passengers in 2023, making it the UK’s 21st busiest airport. The main airlines flying from the airport are British Airways, easyJet, KLM and Loganair.
Supplier
English-based Aurrigo makes the Auto-Pod. The company designs smart airside solutions for the aviation industry, including automated vehicles, systems and software.
Prof. David Keene, CEO of Aurrigo:
“Operating at Inverness Airport highlights the diverse environments where Aurrigo’s automated vehicles can truly make an impact.
“The aviation industry as a whole offers countless opportunities for this innovative technology to enhance operations, improve safety, and transform the passenger experience.”
