First-Ever Trial at Kansai Airport! Demonstration Test of Level 4 Autonomous Driving for GSE Vehicles*1
Enhancing Service Quality and Addressing Labor Shortages through Autonomous Towing Vehicles
- Demonstration tests of autonomous driving at Levels 3 and 4 are being conducted
- Test period: From December 2024 to the end of April 2025
- Aiming to improve customer service by reducing the time to start returning checked baggage
- Expected to contribute to labor-saving and manpower reduction in airport ground handling operations
Osaka, April 25, 2025 – Peach Aviation Limited (hereafter: Peach, Representative Director and CEO: Kazunari Ohashi), together with Panasonic Holdings Corporation (hereinafter: Panasonic HD, Group CEO: Yuki Kusumi), NAGASE TECHNO SERVICE CO., LTD. (hereinafter: Nagase Techno, President and CEO: Yuji Hishinuma), and Kansai Airports (Representative Director and CEO Yoshiyuki Yamaya), are collaborating to conduct a demonstration test of autonomous driving for GSE* vehicles within the ramp area of Terminal 2 at Kansai Airport.
This demonstration test aims to verify the practicality of vehicle operation using autonomous driving technology within the ramp area—marking the first such initiative at Kansai Airport. The trial uses the “EZTow” vehicle manufactured by Tracteasy, provided by Nagase Techno Level 3 autonomous driving test has been conducted from December 2024 through April 20, 2025, and a Level 4 autonomous driving test is currently underway*2. During the trial, the system’s ability to detect pedestrians on roads and crosswalks used by passengers and staff—bringing the vehicle to a temporary stop and restarting it—is being tested, along with the vehicle’s capacity to precisely approach baggage return areas with limited space. These tests aim to evaluate driving performance tailored to the unique environment of the airport. This initiative follows a previous remote-controlled GSE test conducted in April 2023 and represents the next step toward combining autonomous driving and remote operation technologies. In the future, these technologies could be used together to centrally manage vehicles at multiple airports via remote control. This would contribute to labor and workforce efficiency in ground handling operations and improve customer service by reducing the time required to begin baggage return.
Peach is committed to working with a variety of partners to eliminate inefficiencies across operations, reduce environmental impact, and build systems that enhance the quality of its services. *1Abbreviation for Ground Support Equipment, a generic term for aircraft ground support equipment. The towing vehicle is also one of the GSEs. *2The demonstration test of Level 4 autonomous driving is scheduled to continue until the end of April ＜Vehicles and Remote Control System Used in the Demonstration Test＞ “EZTow” by Tracteasy The system is equipped with a device that uses LIDAR sensors outside the vehicle to safely stop the vehicle even during remote operation, based on information about the driving area captured in the system beforehand.
X-Area Remote” Remote Control Solution by Panasonic HD https://holdings.panasonic/global/corporate/mobility/x-area.html *X-Area is a registered trademark of Panasonic HD
＜Vehicle driving area＞ In the vehicular traffic zone and apron on the Terminal 2 side (areas marked in yellow and blue)
＜What Are Autonomous Driving Levels?＞ Autonomous driving levels indicate the degree of vehicle automation and are defined on a scale from 0 to 5, comprising 6 levels:
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001226541.pdf
About Peach (http://www.flypeach.com/en) Peach is based at six airports: New Chitose, Narita, Chubu, Kansai, Fukuoka, and Naha, and services 25 domestic routes and 15 international routes with a fleet of 36 aircraft. In addition, from April 10, 2025, the Osaka (Kansai) and Nagoya (Chubu) – Seoul (Gimpo) routes have launched, further enhancing the international route network. We will continue to prioritize safety and pursue fundamental quality, aiming to be an airline loved by even more customers.
Source : Peach
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