Dnata has officially begun operating a fleet of self-driving vehicles at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport.
The company deployed six electric autonomous tractors, model EZTow, developed by TractEasy. These vehicles transport baggage between terminals and aircraft, towing up to four containers per trip at speeds of up to 15 km/h, along pre-defined routes.
As the vehicles are gradually integrated into daily operations, staff previously operating manual tractors will be reassigned to more complex, value-added roles. This transition is expected to accelerate baggage handling, boost overall efficiency, and reduce human error, enhancing airside safety.
The project, valued at AED 6 million (approximately USD 1.6 million), currently operates at Level 3 autonomy, requiring minimal human supervision. Dnata plans to upgrade to Level 4 autonomy—featuring full self-driving capabilities in controlled environments—by early 2026.
This rollout follows over a year of collaboration between Dnata, TractEasy, Dubai Airports, and the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority. Together, they developed a new regulatory framework for autonomous vehicle operations in airside environments, still lacking globally standardized guidelines.
Dnata will utilize the project to test and refine various autonomous ground handling models, to scale up their implementation. This aligns with the planned expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, which is set to become the world’s largest, with a capacity of 260 million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo annually.
Jaffar Dawood, Senior Vice President of UAE Airport Operations at Dnata, said automation will be key to building smarter, safer, and more flexible infrastructure amid rising global travel demand.
TractEasy CEO Rich Reno added that interest in autonomous ground support equipment is growing rapidly, and the partnership with Dnata is paving the way for a safer, more efficient future.