Self-driving bus for staff to be trialled at Changi Airport

Move aimed at cutting routine driving tasks so workers can focus on more complex jobs

- Kok Yufeng

A self-driving bus to transport workers around Changi Airport's restricted area will go on trial from the third quarter of 2024, as part of efforts to improve manpower productivity at the airport through automation.

Airport operator Changi Airport Group (CAG), Singapore Airlines Engineering Company (SIAEC) and Sats Airport Services, a subsidiary of ground handler Sats, inked an agreement on July 17 to start a two-year proof of concept.

The idea is to use autonomous buses at the airside - the part of the airport where the loading and unloading of aircraft, as well as takeoffs and landings, take place.

This is so that airside workers do not have to perform routine driving tasks and can focus on more complex activities.

The upcoming trial, which will take place in two phases, will allow CAG, SIAEC and Sats to evaluate the self-driving capabilities of the autonomous bus, including its operational performance and safety.