Changi Airport in Singapore is to introduce a fleet of four autonomous electric baggage vehicles to pilot underwing operations. These vehicles, using Aurrigo International’s Auto-DollyTug, will be supplied as part of a new contract following the successful completion of Phase 2A testing.
The trial, which lasted more than two years, demonstrated the vehicles’ ability to handle automated loading and unloading operations at aircraft stands in various weather conditions.
Prof. David Keene, CEO of Aurrigo, commented, “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. Changi Airport Group has been exploring this technology with us since 2020 and the results of significant testing have given it the confidence to place this next contract with us.”
The Auto-DollyTug fleet will be managed by Aurrigo’s Auto-Connect software platform, which schedules and monitors all vehicle tasks. This expanded fleet aims to assess and validate Changi Airport’s new concept of operations (CONOPS) to support the turnaround of wide-body flights.
Features of the Auto-DollyTug include Aurrigo’s patented sideways drive system that is designed to allow the vehicle to maneuver directly sideways into tight spaces, and its 360° tank turn capabilities and integrated robotic arms, which reportedly enable precise automated loading and unloading of unit load devices (ULDs).
During Phase 2A, the Auto-DollyTug reportedly displayed resilience in different weather conditions, as well as its ability to align with airport equipment and its performance in automated baggage transfer and close-quarters operations at aircraft stands. Aurrigo says that the vehicles also demonstrated effective maneuvering on the apron and interaction with traditional ground service equipment (GSE).
In the upcoming Phase 2B, the focus will be on testing fleet communication through the Auto-Connect platform to support the efficient turnaround of wide-body flights. This new generation of baggage handling vehicles, designed and built in the UK, is expected to arrive in Singapore in the coming months.
Poh Li San, senior VP of Terminal 5 specialized systems at Changi Airport Group, concluded, “We look forward to trialing the fleet of four Auto-DollyTugs in Phase 2B and to validating our new concept of operations to support the turnaround of a wide-body flight together with our ground handlers.”