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.