Amsterdam Schiphol Airport set to trial self driving buses

Passengers may get a glimpse of the future at Amsterdam Schiphol this spring as the airport begins trials of self driving buses.

The trials are a result of the Royal Schiphol Group teaming up with nlmtd and TNW (The Next Web) to further accelerate innovation at the airport.

According to the airport, nlmtd and TNW have extensive in-house expertise and a large, global network of start-ups and innovation partners that it can draw upon.

“We need innovation to achieve our ambition: to become the world’s most sustainable airport,” remarked the Royal Schiphol Group’s head of innovation, Jan Zekveld.

“We anticipate that daily operations on Schiphol’s apron will have changed significantly by 2050. Ground-based activities such as baggage transport, passenger transport and aircraft towing will not only be clean, but also smart and autonomous.

“We have already taken the first steps in this field with TNW and nlmtd. We will conduct a trial of self-driving buses on Schiphol’s apron this spring. That way, we can determine what follow-up steps are needed in the future.”

Nederland, Schiphol, 12-07-2021.

Arno Nijhof, director of TNW programmes, noted: “We are delighted to help Schiphol accelerate their innovation projects. Where many companies scale back their innovation efforts in difficult times, Schiphol sees innovation as a solution.

“We can’t wait to find solutions in the market that enable autonomous transport or make work lighter for employees, and to collaborate with external innovators to improve air quality. Our goal is to help Schiphol become a more sustainable and future-proof organisation, and we are confident that this collaboration will contribute to that.”