“We can see in the future autonomy playing a big role at airports, whether it’s platooning snow plows or mowing the grass in the airfield,” said Tory Richardson, CEO of Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), during the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) conference on September 8. He emphasized the operational benefits, saying, “We would rather have, say, one maintenance technician out there supervising maybe five autonomous vehicles, as opposed to five people having to sit out there and operate those five vehicles for, say, 12 hours a day.”

Testing Autonomous Ground Services

GRR, Michigan’s second-largest airport after Detroit Metro (DTW), has established the Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship (FLITE) program. The initiative provides grants to facilitate real-time testing of new technologies in airport environments.

As part of this program, GRR has been testing autonomous lawn mowers on airfields, while the FAA closely monitors safety implications, particularly around taxiways and runways. The FLITE program also partnered with companies like Snowbotix, which specializes in autonomous electric robots for snow removal and sidewalk cleaning.

Southwest Airlines is one of the key partners in the FLITE program, providing operational insights and feedback on how such technologies could affect day-to-day airport functions. “Testing new products and solutions is very expensive and requires a lot of resources,” said Kevin Kleist, Southwest’s Senior Emerging Trends Advisor. He noted that the FLITE program provides Southwest with a way to test innovations that would otherwise be difficult to integrate into their operations. “Innovation is difficult. This program gives us a chance to test these products on an appropriate scale,” Kleist added.

Autonomous Wheelchairs — A Near-Term Solution

Autonomous wheelchairs are another technology being actively explored, with Envoy Air, a regional affiliate of American Airlines, already deploying them at Miami International and Los Angeles International airports. These self-driving wheelchairs assist passengers with limited mobility in navigating the terminals.

At GRR, autonomous wheelchairs have been tested through the FLITE program by Prospect Airport Services, which operates wheelchair services at several airports. Tim Fisher, Director of Prospect Airport Services, emphasized the need for real-world testing: “We wanted to have real passengers in them to get feedback on everything from ergonomics to how it moves and accelerates. You can’t get that in the lab.”

Fisher explained that autonomous wheelchairs would allow airport workers to focus on passengers who need more significant help, rather than performing the time-intensive task of manually pushing every passenger. “Some passengers need assistance through the entire airport, but others may just need help getting to the gate,” he said, adding that this technology would help allocate staff more efficiently.

Addressing Public Perception

Interestingly, testing revealed some of the public’s reactions to autonomous systems in airports. Fisher noted that when an empty wheelchair was seen moving autonomously, people tended to step back, but when a passenger was seated in the chair, the reaction was more accepting. This highlighted the importance of managing speed and behavior in these new technologies—passengers wanted the wheelchairs to move faster than one might initially expect in an airport setting.

A Growing Need for Innovation

With GRR handling a record 3.8 million passengers in 2023, an increase of 6% over 2019 levels, the airport is looking to expand its use of autonomous technologies to keep up with growing demand. These innovations, including autonomous snow plows, mowers, and wheelchairs, are positioned to play a significant role in improving airport operations, safety, and passenger satisfaction.