The robot valet! Gatwick becomes first UK airport to unveil robotic parking with passengers able to drop off and pick up their cars without any human interaction
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By ED HOLT
Published: | Updated:
Gatwick has started the rollout of robotic car parking for passengers flying for at least five days.
The innovative valet service has been unveiled just days after an air traffic control glitch caused travel chaos at Gatwick and other airports.
But, despite modern technology leading to the cancellation of dozens of flights this week, the London airport is now encouraging passengers to entrust their vehicles with some of the most advanced tech ever seen in the UK.
In order to use the service, holidaymakers will need to drive up to a garage close to the South Terminal and scan a QR code.
They will then need to park up in their own dedicated 'parking suite' before leaving to catch their flights.
Moments later, a small robot vehicle drives up to the car and it then lifts it up and takes it away to an outdoor parking space.
Once passengers return from their holiday, the system receives an alert that they have landed.
By the time they have passed through passport control and baggage collection, their vehicle should be parked up ready to collect from where it was left.
Gatwick Airport has unveiled a fleet of robotic cars which for £109 for a five-day stay will park passengers cars for them
The innovative valet service lifts up the car and takes it away to an outdoor parking space.
The service will cost around £109 for a five-day stay and is available on weekdays between 9am and 5pm.
Gatwick is already exploring expanding the service to include weekends but if passengers do suffer delays they can arrange to collect their car out of hours.
However, around five per cent of cars will not be compatible with the valet service.
The airport lists Range Rover Sport Hybrid and Renault Trafic Van as examples of vehicles that are incompatible as well as sports cars with low underbody height and SUVs with roof boxes.
Oli Bedford, Head of Airport Access, Marketing and Commercial Products at London Gatwick, described the technology as a 'game changer'.
He said: 'This is a real game changer for our passengers. It's quick, easy and completely hassle-free – and you even get to keep your keys, giving extra peace of mind while you're enjoying your holiday.'
The electronic valet service has been created in partnership with Stanley Robotics.
Clément Boussard, Chief Executive Officer of Stanley Robotics, said: 'We are thrilled to partner with London Gatwick, a global leader in aviation, to deploy our solution and address their critical parking capacity challenges as they prepare for significant growth.
'This project marks a major milestone for Stanley Robotics in the UK, and we are proud to bring our innovative technology to one of the world's most forward-thinking airports.'
The launch comes after a huge inferno destroyed around 140 cars at a third-party car park close to Gatwick last month.
Eight fire engines and two water carriers brought the blaze under control as more than 2,000 homes had their power cut after the fire damaged high-voltage equipment near the car park.
Meanwhile, 2,000 flights across the UK were affected by a major technical failure on Tuesday and Wednesday that brought Britain's air traffic control system to a standstill.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the Commons she has ordered an independent investigation by the aviation watchdog into the system operated by Nats, which went down for four hours on Tuesday.
She also held urgent talks with the boss of Nats, Martin Rolfe, to discuss how the crisis occurred.
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