Changi Airport deploys AVs as driverless baggage tractors between T1 and T4 after trial
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The tractors are capable of towing up to four containers of baggage that weigh up to 25 tonnes in total, although the typical load they will tow is about 10 tonnes.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
- Changi Airport deployed two autonomous baggage tractors between Terminals 1 and 4 on Jan 20, covering a 7km route due to unconnected baggage systems.
- Six more AVs will be deployed in Terminal 2 later in 2026, with plans to expand to 24 vehicles by 2027 for baggage, cargo and equipment transport.
- Drivers will be upskilled, so that they can act as remote operators for the AVs.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Changi Airport put a pair of autonomous vehicles (AVs) into operational use on Jan 20 as driverless tractors transporting baggage between Terminals 1 and 4. It was the first time such vehicles were used in live airport operations without a safety driver.
The fully autonomous tractors, which had been on a trial since November 2024, covered more than 5,000 test trips, and had a safety driver on board as an emergency measure up until November 2025.
The electric-blue vehicles – which look like conventional baggage tractors – have an array of sensors and cameras for navigating the airside, the part of the airport where the loading and unloading of aircraft, as well as take-offs and landings, occur.
Capable of towing up to four containers of baggage that weigh up to 25 tonnes in total, the tractors will ply the 7km route between the airport’s oldest and newest terminals, and will carry a typical load of about 10 tonnes.
The route was chosen for a start as the baggage-handling system between T4 and the other three terminals is not connected, making it necessary to have transport to move baggage to T1, said a spokesperson for Changi Airport Group (CAG).
Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling launched the pair of AVs on Jan 20, and said on Facebook that the driverless tractors will help to enhance worker safety, reduce workload and improve productivity.
Baggage handling exerts a strain on Singapore’s ageing workforce, and climate change has made airside operations challenging, given the sudden bouts of inclement weather, she added.
The AVs can operate in different weather conditions and free up workers to take on higher-skilled roles that “require experience and decision-making skills”, said Ms Sun.
“Autonomous tractors can operate in different weather conditions and support our workers to clear backlog quickly and safely after disruptions.”
Six more AVs of the same make are scheduled to be deployed in T2 later in 2026. They will transport baggage between the terminal’s baggage-handling area and its 35 aircraft stands.
Once the AVs go live, there will be 75 conventional tractors operating at the airport for every driverless model. At present, there are about 600 conventional tractors in use at Changi Airport.
Eventually, the airport will expand the vehicles’ operations to other terminals, said Ms Liu Yanling, CAG’s senior vice-president of airport operations strategy and transformation, in a briefing on Jan 19. By 2027, there will be 24 driverless tractors traversing the airside. Besides towing baggage, they will be capable of towing cargo and equipment.
Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling greeting leaders from the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster at Changi Airport Terminal 2 on Jan 20.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Describing the roll-out as a “huge step forward” for Changi Airport, Ms Liu said removing driving from the equation will allow airside workers to focus on more complex operations that cannot be automated.
Drivers will also undergo upskilling so that they can operate the AVs remotely.
At present, 10 are certified to do so, and more will be trained in the coming months, Ms Liu added.
Under the current set-up, a single operator monitors two of the AVs from an alert-based system.
When a tractor meets a road obstacle, for instance, it will navigate around the object automatically if it determines it has enough clearance, said Ms Liu.
However, if the path is blocked, the system triggers an alert for the operator to intervene.
As steering the AV remotely is not possible because of cybersecurity concerns, the operator may need to contact an on-site team to clear the obstacle.
The tractors, which had been on a trial since 2024, are fully autonomous, though they had a safety driver on board as an emergency measure until November 2025.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
The AV is also made to follow the middle of its pre-programmed path, and will stop if it senses any deviation. The operators are able to carry out emergency stops if needed.
Driverless baggage tractors are not new, having first been trialled at Changi Airport in October 2020
The model then was developed by airport ground support equipment manufacturer TLD and autonomous vehicle firm EasyMile, both French companies.
The AVs in use today are manufactured by Chinese autonomous driving company Uisee, which already has a range of driverless vehicles employed at Hong Kong International Airport, including shuttle buses and patrol cars.
To date, the tractors have amassed some 20,000km in mileage, with no safety incident.
When asked about the final choice of products, Ms Liu said Uisee demonstrated “superior technology” at a competitive price point during the tender process.
CAG declined to provide further details regarding the successful bid or the cost of the AVs.
Besides the driverless tractors, Changi Airport has been testing other AVs in recent years, including a self-driving bus
It has also trialled autonomous baggage-handling vehicles by British transport technology firm Aurrigo that can autonomously load and unload baggage containers, since 2022.
Unlike the driverless tractors, however, all other AVs continue to have a safety operator on board, said a CAG spokesperson.
Correction note: This story has been updated to reflect clarifications from Changi Airport Group on when the trial had begun and the maximum load that the tractors can transport.
