Zurich Airport advances fully driverless shuttle operations

Zurich Airport has taken the next step in its autonomous shuttle operations, deploying two fully driverless electric shuttles without any onboard human supervision. The Level 4 operation began in early September, following an 18-month testing phase with autonomous-driving technology company WeRide. The airport's remote control centre now monitors the two Robobus vehicles, named Nimbus and Stratus, as they navigate a fixed airside route between Gate 101 and Gate 130.

The shuttle service, which does not carry passengers during this phase, will undergo four weeks of further testing before potentially being available to airport employees. The airport emphasized that safety remains the top priority, and the shuttle route avoids complex airport traffic movements. WeRide, which has deployed autonomous shuttles in other European markets, is the first company to operate a Level 4 shuttle without an onboard safety operator at a European airport.