Singapore’s Changi Airport Group will deploy four new Aurrigo autonomous baggage handling vehicles following successful trials with the UK-developed technology.
Aurrigo’s Auto-DollyTug has been operating at the airport – one of Asia’s busiest – for the past two years, demonstrating its ability to manoeuvre on the apron while interacting with traditional ground service equipment. Recently concluded Phase 2A trials saw the vehicles operating in Singapore’s wet weather, heat and humidity, with the Auto-DollyTug performing baggage transfer and close-quarter manoeuvres to aircraft on stand.
Phase 2B trials will now focus on testing the vehicles’ fleet communication through Aurrigo’s Auto-Connect platform, enabling them to be scheduled and monitored to support the turnaround of a wide-body flight.
Designed and built in the UK, the four new airport baggage handling vehicles feature a patented sideways drive system that allows them to travel into confined spaces within the baggage hall and amidst ground service equipment. They are expected to arrive in Singapore in the coming months, according to Aurrigo.
“This is a milestone moment for the aviation sector and paves the way for the future adoption of our Auto-DollyTugs for servicing of live flights in the near term,” Professor David Keene, Aurrigo CEO, said in a statement. “Changi Airport Group has been exploring this technology with us since 2020 and the results of significant testing has given it the confidence to place this next contract with us.”
Changi Airport is a major international aviation hub, with over 100 airlines serving more than 400 cities worldwide. The trials with Aurrigo are part of Changi’s new concept of operations (CONOPS), designed to support the turnaround of the high number of wide-body flights that pass through the airport.
“We look forward to trialling the fleet of four Auto-DollyTugs in Phase 2B and to validate our new concept of operations to support the turnaround of a widebody flight together with our ground handlers,” said Ms Poh Li San, senior vice president, Terminal 5 Specialised Systems at Changi Airport Group.
