DHL and Oxa test autonomous vehicles at Heathrow Airport
DHL Supply Chain, a division of the logistics giant DHL, in collaboration with Oxa, has successfully completed the first test of an autonomous vehicle in real airport traffic at London Heathrow. Over 14 days, the autonomous vehicle covered 1300 km, demonstrating the potential to improve the efficiency and sustainability of airport operations.
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DHL has been providing baggage logistics and support services at Heathrow since 2020. This project is part of a strategy to optimise the airport's operations through innovative and sustainable solutions. The use of autonomous technology is intended to improve the efficiency of inter-terminal baggage handling and create a basis for automating other airport services.
Prior to deployment, the autonomous vehicle equipped with Oxa software underwent a series of tests at Heathrow to ensure safety and integration into the complex airport environment. On the first day of the project, the vehicle was operating autonomously without any special modifications. Over the course of two weeks, its performance was continuously optimised, achieving all the required safety and efficiency indicators.
Intelligent autonomous logistics will play a key role in Heathrow's future operations - Gavin Payne, Director of Engineering and Baggage at Heathrow
While the initial trials were conducted with a passenger vehicle to demonstrate the technology's capabilities, future plans are to use platforms suitable for baggage, including electric vans and tractor units. This underlines DHL and Heathrow's commitment to innovate to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Source: DHL
