Self-driving shuttles being tested at Newark Airport this spring

🚍 Self-driving shuttles are coming to Newark Airport this spring
⚡ Zero-emission autonomous vehicles will connect terminals and AirTrain during testing
🏗️ Tests support Newark Liberty’s massive redevelopment, including new AirTrain and Terminal B

NEWARK — Self-driving shuttles at Newark Airport? Yup. They’re coming.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that self-driving shuttles will be tested at Newark Liberty International Airport this spring as options for automated connections between the airport’s existing facilities and the new AirTrain system are evaluated.

Self-driving shuttle tests at Newark Liberty Airport set for spring

The Port Authority will be partnering with three autonomous vehicle technology companies—Oceaneering, Ohmio, and Glydways to test these zero-emission, self-driving shuttles at the airport this spring.

ALSO READ: Cape May carriage horse put down after blizzard rescue fail

“We have been working with self-driving technology successfully for many years, particularly at the airports, and believe autonomous shuttles offer a safe, efficient solution for moving passengers while we concurrently work to build a new AirTrain Newark and the brand-new Terminal B,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.

The new AirTrain Newark is scheduled to open in 2030, and the future Terminal B will be located adjacent to the future AirTrain station.

Zero-emission autonomous vehicles to connect AirTrain and terminals

Zero-emissions vehicles from each of the three companies will be tested separately in an area of the airport that is not publicly accessible during two-week periods.

Oceaneering will be tested in March, Ohmio in late March, and Glydways in May. The tests are designed to simulate a high-capacity shuttle network with multiple vehicles operating simultaneously in a complex airport environment, like Newark.

“These tests this spring will enable us to build on our knowledge and prior experiences working with self-driving shuttles and create a highly customized journey that will be unique to Newark Liberty and tailored to our passengers’ needs,” O’Toole said.

Newark Airport redevelopment: Autonomous shuttles vs. electric buses

The Newark Liberty tests build on several successive years of autonomous vehicle demonstrations conducted at other Port Authority airports. These include testing at John F. Kennedy International in summer 2024, which allowed the public to ride in autonomous vehicles at JFK’s long-term parking lot 9.

Two other tests were held at JFK’s Aqueduct parking lot in 2022 and 2023. A test of a self-driving shuttle was also first conducted in mixed traffic at Newark Liberty in 2023, and again in 2024.

Port Authority officials believe autonomous vehicles may offer a safer, more efficient, and more cost-effective solution than traditional busing, but the agency still plans to evaluate conventional electric buses as part of its broader views of mitigation plans during Newark Airport’s redevelopment.

"We are building a new Newark Liberty that meets the demands of the next generation of travel, so we must embrace a future that is inclusive of all the different ways we can move this region,: said Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom