Aurrigo awarded £1.43m grant to explore autonomous airport safety applications
Aurrigo International has been awarded £1.43m in UK government funding to investigate how autonomous vehicles could be used to improve safety and efficiency at airports.
image: Aurrigo
The AIM-listed transport technology company said the project would deploy its Auto-Shuttle vehicles on routine airfield tasks, including security patrols and perimeter inspections. The vehicles will also be used to inspect runway and taxiway surfaces for defects such as cracks, wear and loose objects that could present a risk to aircraft.
Aurrigo said the funding had been awarded through the government's £150m Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder programme. The programme was extended to 2030 as part of the government's Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, with funding intended to support the commercialisation of connected and automated mobility technologies and strengthen the UK's supply chain.
The CAM Pathfinder programme is funded through the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), a joint unit of the Department for Business and Trade and Department for Transport, and is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and Zenzic.
The Coventry-based company has previously deployed autonomous technology in airport environments. Its Auto-Shuttle is a 10-seat electric autonomous vehicle designed for applications including passenger and crew movements at airports, while its wider autonomous portfolio includes vehicles for baggage and cargo handling.
In August 2025, Aurrigo announced a £900,000 contract with Tees Valley Combined Authority to develop an autonomous baggage and passenger transport system at Teesside International Airport. The project involves the company's Auto-Shuttle and Auto-DollyTug vehicles, with testing initially taking place at the airport's Connected and Automated Mobility test centre before moving airside.
The company has also previously worked with UPS at East Midlands Airport on an autonomous electric cargo vehicle. That project was supported by almost £500,000 of government funding and was designed in part to allow security-cleared drivers to be redeployed to other airport duties.
David Keene, CEO of Aurrigo International, said the latest funding would allow airports to use autonomous vehicles for routine activities while allowing experienced staff to focus on tasks requiring human judgement.
“This grant funding reflects the quality of our autonomous vehicle technology and our commitment to building the next generation of intelligent, sustainable, and scalable transport systems,” he said.
“The project aims to free-up experienced airport staff for the work that genuinely needs human judgement and gives airports a practical way to raise their safety standards.”
He added that the award would support the wider deployment of Aurrigo's autonomous technology across airport and logistics operations.
The use of autonomous vehicles for inspection and other repetitive airside activities is part of a wider move towards automation at airports. Aurrigo has identified applications including security patrols, catering operations and other routine airside activities as potential areas for autonomous vehicles, while airports are also exploring autonomous baggage and passenger transport.