Self-driving shuttle buses have begun operating at JFK Airport.
A pilot program launched by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Tuesday allows travelers to ride for free in two driverless vehicles in a parking lot at Queens Airport.
While the futuristic experience seemed to intrigue some passengers, others were skeptical.
“It was a little scary, but cool,” Maria Rosiello, a 57-year-old educator from New Jersey, said of the trip. “It was very clean and brand new. It was interesting. It’s the wave of the future.”
Another traveler, Therian, a Brooklyn resident, said he prefers “human discretion,” but “if it’s a short route, I think it can be managed.”
“I want to drive my own car,” countered Doug Lake, 72, a financial adviser from Suffolk County who was walking from the AirTrain stop to his car. “I don’t like that. [self-driving technology]”I’d rather be a controlled driver.”
The eight-passenger shuttle buses — about one-third the size of a standard bus — will travel around Parking Lot 9, bringing passengers closer to their parked cars. PANYNJ officials say it will take about 25 to 30 minutes to complete the loop at 10 miles per hour.
The bus will make 15 total stops, including stops in Howard Beach and at the JFK AirTrain station on Lefferts Boulevard.
The futuristic people mover has been supplied by Omio, which has developed self-driving vehicle programs in New Zealand, Australia, China and South Korea, according to the company’s website.
“Everything is on schedule and consistent,” said Teri Ann, who didn’t want to give her last name. “I think it’s better than waiting for someone to use the bathroom or need a break.”
Passengers aren’t the only ones who want to get to the airport faster: PANYNJ says autonomous vehicles will enable more passengers to get through the airport faster.
“If you have a bus running through a parking lot, you can pick up a lot of people, but you might have to wait a long time for that bus,” Seth Weiner, the Port Authority’s innovation director, told The Washington Post.
“If you take the same bus by half or a third as many times, you cut your wait time in half or a third as well. The Port Authority believes autonomous technology will be a key component in delivering public transportation in the 21st century.”
Despite the drone platoon flights, safety rules will still be enforced, PANYNJ reported.
All passengers are being asked to remain seated with their seat belts fastened, and all vehicles will have union drivers who currently operate airport shuttles acting as safety monitors.
“There’s a very real risk that technology will take away jobs. If you look at other sectors, you see technology taking away things that humans used to do,” Weiner said. “We’re committed to not doing that. So there’s very little risk to the Port Authority taking away jobs, because we’re going to do all of this very responsibly.”
The three-month test marks PANYNJ’s fourth attempt to trial self-driving technology at a major airport.
The agency previously tested autonomous vehicle platoons in JFK Airport’s Aqueduct parking garage each of the past two summers, and in 2023 tested self-driving cars in mixed traffic at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Last year, JFK became the first airport in North America to demonstrate a three-vehicle self-driving fleet.
Given the success of this program, PANYNJ is considering using driverless vehicles to transport passengers between AirTrain stations and airport facilities such as rental car offices.
Eventually, two or three shuttles will operate 24/7, with buttons at each station to request a shuttle, PANYNJ officials said.
