Port Authority Plans Spring Trials of Driverless Shuttle Buses at Newark Airport
Three companies will take turns testing electric autonomous buses in a closed section of Newark Liberty International Airport as the agency weighs options for linking terminals to a rebuilt AirTrain.
By Jacob Leary ·
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey plans to put several zero-emissions self-driving buses through their paces at Newark Liberty International Airport this spring, the agency announced.
Beginning in March, three companies, Oceaneering, Ohmio and Glydways, will each test electric autonomous buses in a part of the airport that is not open to the public. Each firm is slated to operate its shuttles for roughly two weeks over the course of the spring, with Oceaneering going first.
Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said autonomous vehicles are already in use around the country and the world and have become part of modern travel. "We are building a new Newark Liberty that meets the demands of the next generation of travel," she said.
The agency wants to link Newark's terminals, including those yet to be built, with the airport's overhauled AirTrain. The Port Authority is investing $3.5 billion to replace the aging AirTrain system, and the new version is scheduled to open in 2030.
The scale of the airport has changed considerably since the original AirTrain began service in 1996. At that time Newark Liberty handled about 30 million passengers a year. In 2024, according to the Port Authority, it welcomed nearly 50 million.
The spring trials are not the region's first experiment with driverless shuttles at its airports. During summer 2024, members of the public rode Ohmio's self-driving shuttles at JFK Airport, where the vehicles carried passengers around a long-term parking lot. Earlier tests took place in 2022 and 2023. Newark ran its own driverless shuttle pilot program in 2023 and 2024.
Port Authority Chair Kevin O'Toole said the agency has worked successfully with self-driving technology for years, especially at airports. He said autonomous shuttles offer "a safe, efficient solution for moving passengers" while the agency builds a new AirTrain Newark and the new Terminal B.
Results from the spring tests will help the Port Authority decide whether to issue a formal request for proposals in 2027.
The trials come at a time when self-driving vehicles meet resistance in New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul blocked plans that would have let companies such as Waymo test vehicles outside New York City. In addition, a Siena Research poll released earlier this month found that self-driving cars are deeply unpopular among New Yorkers.
Source: Gothamist
