Teeside Airport to pioneer autonomous baggage and passenger vehicles

Teesside Airport is to trial an autonomous baggage and passenger system this autumn following a £1m agreement between the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) and driverless pod developer Aurrigo International.

Aurrigo’s eight-seater Auto-Shuttle passenger vehicle is primed to begin activities in October, while an Auto-DollyTug – a driverless way of moving cargo and bags around airports – is set for operation in January.

Initially, the ground-breaking technology will start landside at a new test centre mapping out routes and completing trial runs before moving airside.

Teesside believes it will be the only airport in the world where both autonomous cargo and passenger vehicles will be operating.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said, “This is another massive first for our airport, our region, and our people – proving once again that where Teesside leads, the world follows. Being first matters. It means jobs, investment, and putting us firmly on the global map for cutting-edge innovation. These vehicles arriving in just a couple of months’ time are a huge boost.”

Airport Managing Director Phil Forster added, “It’s an absolute pleasure to see Teesside Airport hosting more world-leading technology and chalking up another UK – and global – first. To have this technology in place early next year will mean bags will travel from check-in to plane even more seamlessly, and in an even greener way. It will also help us shape how we move passengers around Teesside in the future – and will likely have an impact on the whole aviation industry.

“We were first in the UK to install new security scanners to allow passengers to keep liquids and electronics in bags, and now we’re leading the world in driverless cargo and bag systems with Aurrigo.”

“We are really excited to bring our autonomous technology to the North East,” said David Keene MBE, CEO of Aurrigo International. “Our Auto-Shuttle and Auto-DollyTugs are being deployed all across the world, but this will be the first time that we have integrated them together at a live airport.

“It’s a real sign of intent from Teesside International Airport and the Tees Valley Combined Authority.”

An Autonomous Public Transport project was agreed by Tees Valley Combined Authority Cabinet as part of a £1bn transport plan in January 2024. TVCA will examine the findings of this project to inform the wider project on autonomous vehicles in the region’s town centres.