Having our Auto-DollyTug on display at a North American show for the very first time was a milestone moment for Aurrigo—and the response was amazing.
So many of you stopped by to see the vehicle up close, ask great questions, and learn more about how our autonomous technology is transforming airside operations. Your excitement and curiosity made this debut unforgettable.
A huge thank you to everyone who visited our booth, connected with our team, and shared in the vision of smarter, safer, and more sustainable ground handling. ✈️💡
We’re back at Cenex 2025 showcasing our Auto-DollyTug alongside partners at Tees Valley Combined Authority, and Teesside International Airport as we gear up for the deployment there later in the year. After an overnight storm, the weather has turned out sunny, so come to the steering pan to see the vehicle!
A leading autonomous transport specialist has raised £14.1m to accelerate growth, identify larger manufacturing facilities and increase its technical and manufacturing teams.
Aurrigo International plc, which currently works with seven airports across the world, has secured £9.75m from Next Gen Mobility with further funds from existing and new investors as part of a new share placing.
The company will use the new finance to build multiple show demonstrator vehicles, explore relocation to a bigger engineering and manufacturing centre in Coventry, and scale production to meet the requirements of the seven airports it currently works with.
There will also be an emphasis on increasing its 110-strong workforce to help it meet the anticipated increase in volumes and potential new deployments currently being discussed.
“We are delighted to welcome Next Gen as a strategic investor and are grateful for the support of both our existing and new investors,” explained Professor David Keene MBE, CEO of Aurrigo International plc.
“The significant funds raised will provide additional firepower to expand our operations and team, as we focus on the successful launch and go-to-market of our leading autonomous solutions for aviation, including Auto-DollyTug® (for baggage operations), Auto-Shuttle® (for moving passengers) and Auto-Cargo® our biggest model yet and ideal for cargo operations.”
It has been an extremely busy period for Aurrigo International plc, with a major partnership with Swissport recently announced.
This will see the company conduct its first-ever global pilot of autonomous ground handling technologies at Zurich Airport, marking an important step in Swissport’s determination to be a pioneer in next-generation intelligent Ground Service Equipment (iGSE).
The initiative includes the deployment of Auto-Sim®, the companies digital simulation platform, and a live trial of Auto-DollyTug® to explore new efficiencies in airside operations.
David went on to add: “We have already identified potential future commercial opportunities with Next Gen, especially around UK-projects focused on implementing pods and rapid passenger transport systems.
“In the medium-term, we are also exploring the potential of setting-up an additional offshore manufacturing operation that could help us gain entry into the South Asian and South East Asian aviation markets.”
For further information, please visit ww.aurrigo.com or follow the company across its social channels.
The organisations making up the Airside Automation Group are Aer Lingus, Equinix, The Civil Aviation Authority, Heathrow Airport, International Airports Group, Aurrigo plc, Oxa, Fusion Processing, Highlands and Islands Airports, Menzies, Swissport, UPS and Zenzic.
LONDON, 4th SEP, 2025 – SOME of the biggest names in the world of aviation have joined forces to explore how embracing the connected and automated technology solutions of tomorrow could transform the civil aviation industry in the UK and beyond.
International Airports Group (IAG), Heathrow Airport, Aer Lingus, and Fusion Processing are among the founding members of the Airside Automation Group, a new group launched today at Cenex Expo 2025 to foster greater collaboration between the UK’s civil aviation and connected and automated mobility (CAM) industries.
The UK is fast becoming recognised as a world-leader in the development and deployment of CAM solutions for the aviation sector, with industry pioneers such as Aurrigo and Oxa already deploying vehicles and technology in airports globally.
Aurrigo, headquartered in Coventry, recently trialled a fleet of its automated baggage handling vehicles at Singapore’s Changi Airport and has seen its Auto-Dolly Tug and Auto-Sim solutions recommended to a network of 60 airports following a successful trial at Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport.
University of Oxford spin-out Oxa is another success story. Working with global logistics giant DHL, the company is actively exploring how embracing autonomous vehicles can help improve airport logistics and efficiency for airports the world-over, with trials of its technology solutions currently underway at Heathrow Airport.
Fusin Processing are another UK based technology company that are leading the way in the rollout of CAM technologies in airports. Through their partnership with Construct Invest, Fusion Processing are applying years of experience developing autonomous technologies for passenger transit, to deploy airport bus services.
The Airside Automation Group has been set up to help create and promote further success stories, by bringing together organisations from across an array of sectors to further promote the many benefits of embracing CAM solutions and provide a compelling investment proposition for the UK.
It also aims to showcase opportunities and anticipate risks in making the UK an attractive place for research, development and deployment of CAM technologies in the civil aviation industry, as well as supporting the development of more resilient, competitive supply chains to help unlock further innovation across the industry.
Andrew Cornish, Non-Executive Chair at Aurrigo, said: “I am proud to Chair the newly established Airside Automation Group and to see Aurrigo among its founding members. For more than a decade, we have been pioneering autonomous aviation solutions made in Coventry and deployed in airports from Singapore to Amsterdam and Cincinnati. That global experience gives us a unique opportunity to bring real-world insights back into this UK-led collaboration.
“The group provides a vital platform for industry and innovators to come together, share learning, and accelerate the development of the next generation of connected and automated solutions. By working collectively, we can ensure the UK remains at the forefront of this global transformation, delivering world-class technology, stronger supply chains, and long-term economic growth.”
The Airside Automation Group has been set up by Zenzic – an organisation set up by industry and the UK Government to champion and grow the nation’s CAM sector – and was announced today at Cenex Expo 2025, an annual conference bringing together delegates from across the UK innovation community to showcase and champion UK plc.
Mark Cracknell, Programme Director at Zenzic, said: “The CAM sector contributes billions of pounds to the UK economy annually and with the Government harbouring ambitions to increase this to over £42billion by 2035, we see further growth in the aviation market as being key to realising this potential.
“British businesses are already developing world-leading solutions which are being exported and deployed across the globe and the establishing of the Airside Automation Group will help us to further build on this success, by increasing collaboration, amplifying the fantastic work coming out of the group and supporting the aviation industry as it aims to understand how CAM can help meet upcoming challenges and grasp lucrative growth opportunities.”
The organisations making up the Airside Automation Group are Aer Lingus, Equinix, The Civil Aviation Authority, Heathrow Airport, International Airports Group, Aurrigo plc, Oxa, Fusion Processing, Highlands and Islands Airports, Menzies, Swissport, UPS and Zenzic.
For more information on the Airside Automation Group, visit: here.
