The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has announced that starting July 16, customers at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) will have the opportunity to participate in the agency’s first self-driving vehicle pilot designed to serve the traveling public.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has approved the public use of autonomous shuttles in a large on-airport parking lot, to provide easier access between parked vehicles and AirTrain JFK stations.
This is the Port Authority’s fourth pilot of self-driving technology at its major airports and the first to involve unionized contract staff as safety monitors. Previous tests included two trials of autonomous platooned vehicles at JFK’s Aqueduct Parking Lot and a self-driving shuttle test in mixed traffic at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The three-month test at JFK’s long-term parking Lot 9 will be monitored by safety attendants from ABM Aviation, who currently serve as JFK airport shuttle bus drivers. Passengers must remain seated with seatbelts fastened for safety. The test vehicles, supplied by Ohmio, an AV technology company, are clearly marked to indicate they are self-driving. Two eight-passenger vehicles will circulate around Lot 9, making 15 stops, including those at AirTrain JFK stations at Howard Beach and Lefferts Blvd. The self-driving shuttles will be available at no cost to customers.
Port Authority chairman Kevin O’Toole said, “Autonomous platoons can give us the opportunity to get more airport customers where they want to go while they’re within our property, so that we can serve more people safely and efficiently.”
The Port Authority has been testing self-driving technology since 2022, beginning with autonomous platooning and lane-keeping technology on retrofitted buses in the Exclusive Bus Lane to expedite bus travel through the Lincoln Tunnel.
“Safely incorporating self-driving technology at our facilities is part of the Port Authority’s future, and these tests help to prepare us for that eventuality by building a knowledge base on the possibilities and limits of these vehicles,” said Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton.