Port Authority to test self-driving shuttle buses at Newark Airport this spring

Planes, AirTrains and self-driving automobiles.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it will test several models of zero-emissions autonomous vehicles at Newark Liberty International Airport this spring.

Starting in March, three companies — Oceaneering, Ohmio and Glydways — will take turns testing electric autonomous buses in a section of the airport that is closed to the public. Each company will run its shuttles for about two weeks through the spring, with Oceaneering beginning in March.

“Autonomous vehicles are in use around the world and around the country, and they are part of the modern travel experience,” said Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia. “We are building a new Newark Liberty that meets the demands of the next generation of travel.”

The agency seeks to connect Newark’s terminals, including future terminals, with the airport’s revamped AirTrain. The Port Authority is spending $3.5 billion to replace the aging AirTrain system, with the new one scheduled to open in 2030.

When the AirTrain opened in 1996, Newark Liberty served about 30 million passengers a year. In 2024, the airport welcomed nearly 50 million passengers, according to the Port Authority.

This is not the first autonomous vehicle pilot for the metro area’s airports. In summer 2024, members of the public rode Ohmio’s self-driving shuttles at JFK Airport, which transported passengers around a long-term parking lot. Previous tests were also conducted in 2022 and 2023. Newark launched a driverless shuttle pilot program in 2023 and 2024.

“We have been working with self-driving technology successfully for many years, particularly at the airports, and believe autonomous shuttles offer a safe, efficient solution for moving passengers while we concurrently work to build a new AirTrain Newark and the brand-new Terminal B,” said Port Authority Chair Kevin O’Toole.

The spring tests will help determine whether the Port Authority issues a formal request for proposals in 2027.

The tests come as self-driving vehicles face skepticism in New York, including from Gov. Kathy Hochul, who blocked plans to allow companies like Waymo to test cars outside New York City. A Siena Research poll released earlier this month also found that self-driving cars are deeply unpopular in New York.