British Airways trials autonomous mobility devices at JFK

Accessibility benefits from technology - British Airways starts testing fully autonomous vehicles for passengers with disabilities. The site for the experiment is John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

British Airways has become the first airline to trial such devices in North America. Almost half a million customers who require additional assistance fly with British Airways each year and with this number due to rise by 10 per cent by 2021 the airline is exploring new ways to offer a seamless travel experience. 

Self-driving, self-navigating, electric vehicles developed by the Japanese company WHILL can not only independently move around the airport, but also recognize obstacles and prevent collisions with objects or other people. Their task is to comfortably and safely deliver a passenger with a disability to a destination at the airport - for example, to the boarding gate. Thus, the devices allow low-mobility travelers to feel completely independent and freely move around the terminal. Once they reach the gate, the customer alights and the device will self-drive back to the docking station ready for the next customer.
 

Ricardo Vidal, British Airways’ Head of Innovation  says: “Over the next few months we will be collaborating on a further trial at our busy home hub at Heathrow Terminal 5 to gather more feedback and explore the introduction of this technology alongside our team of customer service professionals to provide a truly seamless and accessible airport experience. I’m excited about the future of inclusive innovation to support the accelerating demand for accessible air travel.”