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The driverless baggage tractor at Changi Airport in Singapore. Photo courtesy of Changi Airport |
The project, co-funded by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, aligns with Changi Airport’s broader innovation strategy, the group said.
The strategy includes integrating autonomous technologies into airside operations, applying AI across airport initiatives, and expanding the use of automation and robotics to boost manpower productivity.
Equipped with multiple sensors and cameras, the vehicles navigate the airside, the restricted zone used for aircraft loading and unloading, as well as takeoffs and landings.
Each tractor can tow up to four baggage containers with a combined weight of as much as 10 tonnes, traveling along a 7 km route linking the airport’s oldest and newest terminals, according to The Straits Times.
Operations are overseen from a control center, where a remote operator can intervene immediately if human input is required. The system is designed to reduce routine driving tasks for airside workers, allowing them to focus on last-mile operations that are harder to automate, Changi Airport Group (CAG) said, as reported by Channel News Asia.
Liu Yanling, senior vice president of airport operations strategy and transformation at CAG, said drivers would also undergo upskilling so they can operate the autonomous vehicles remotely.
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Singapore's Changi Airport. Photo courtesy of Changi Airport |
The tractors are manufactured by Chinese autonomous driving company Uisee, which has supplied driverless vehicles to Hong Kong International Airport, where autonomous shuttle buses and patrol cars are already in use.
The baggage tractors have been undergoing trials since 2023 and have accumulated about 20,000 km without any safety incidents.
Six additional vehicles of the same model are scheduled to be deployed at Terminal 2 later in 2026. By 2027, Changi Airport plans to operate a fleet of 24 driverless tractors across the airside, with capabilities extending beyond baggage handling to towing cargo and equipment.
Changi has been voted the world's best airport by the London-based aviation consultancy Skytrax 13 times, including in 2025, and is consistently praised by travelers for its cleanliness, modernity, and efficient immigration procedures.
