Less than a month after Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) announced it would be testing autonomous public transport services in 2025, the largest airport in Switzerland has now followed suit. Zurich Airport confirmed that automated vehicles would be tested next year, with the aim of creating a driverless shuttle bus for staff.
Under the plans, completely driver-free shuttle buses will be used to ferry workers around parts of Zurich Airport. The buses will run up to nine passengers from the employee entrance at Tor 101, stopping at various hangers, offices and gates which are dotted around the southern and western sides of the airport - the buses will never cross or interact with runways.
Initially, the buses will be supervised by an on-board driver, after which they will be operated remotely. "Due to its clear separation from flight operations, this route is ideal for the first use of automated vehicles and offers optimal test conditions," the airport wrote in a statement, adding that it hoped it would make the existing bus service for staff even faster and more convenient.
The spread of self-driving vehicles has accelerated in Switzerland, following the recent decision by the government to legalise the technology from March 2025. Under the changes to the law, Swiss cantons will be given the right to allow driverless vehicles on certain sections of road.
For its part, Zurich Airport hopes the test will showcase whether autonomous vehicles can work in high-security settings. The buses themselves will be provided by WeRide and the Swiss Transit Lab.
If you want a taste of autonomous travel and don’t work for Zurich Airport, there is good news. As part of its test in the Furrtal of Canton Zurich, SBB is set to use the same technology to provide small-scale driverless transport services from next spring.
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