A global first is primed for launch at Teesside Airport after a £1million deal to host a driverless baggage and passenger transport system was rubber-stamped this week.

An autonomous baggage and passenger system will begin a pilot at Teesside Airport this autumn after the Tees Valley Combined Authority agreed a contact with aviation firm Aurrigo International plc.

It will mean year-round flights jetting off to Alicante, Malaga and Amsterdam could well feature passengers and bags being ferried around Teesside Airport by cutting-edge autonomous vehicles from early in 2026.

The company’s eight-seater Auto-Shuttle passenger vehicle is primed to begin activities in October, while an Auto-DollyTug – a driverless way of moving cargo and bags around airports – is set for operation in January.

Teesside will be the only airport in the world where both autonomous cargo and passenger vehicles will be operating.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Teesside is turning heads once again and showing the world how it’s done.

"This is another massive first for our airport, our region, and our people – proving once again that where Teesside leads, the world follows.

"Being first matters. It means jobs, investment, and putting us firmly on the global map for cutting-edge innovation.

"These vehicles arriving in just a couple of months’ time are a huge boost – and I’m excited to see them serving holidaymakers on our year-round flights in the New Year.”

The launch of the autonomous vehicle trial was unveiled earlier this year – and a proposal to allocate £2million to create a pilot hub at the publicly-owned airport was approved by TVCA Cabinet in March.

Airport Managing Director Phil Forster added: “It’s an absolute pleasure to see Teesside Airport hosting more world-leading technology and chalking up another UK – and global – first.

“To have this technology in place early next year will mean bags will travel from check-in to plane even more seamlessly, and in an even greener way.

“It will also help us shape how we move passengers around Teesside in the future – and will likely have an impact on the whole aviation industry.

“We were first in the UK to install new security scanners to allow passengers to keep liquids and electronics in bags, and now we’re leading the world in driverless cargo and bag systems with Aurrigo.”

Initially, the groundbreaking technology will start landside at a new test centre mapping out routes and completing trial runs before moving airside.

“We are really excited to bring our autonomous technology to the North East,” said David Keene MBE, CEO of Aurrigo International plc.

“Our Auto-Shuttle and Auto-DollyTugs are being deployed all across the world, but this will be the first time that we have integrated them together at a live airport.

“It’s a real sign of intent from Teesside International Airport and the Tees Valley Combined Authority.”

An Autonomous Public Transport project was agreed by Tees Valley Combined Authority Cabinet as part of a £1billion transport plan in January 2024.

The Government is looking to change legislation to ensure the safety and security of autonomous vehicles on the public highway by 2027.

TVCA will examine the findings of this project to inform the wider project on autonomous vehicles in the region’s town centres.