Luggage at Russian airports will now be delivered by drones

Unmanned baggage trucks will be tested at Russian airports under an experimental legal regime. The corresponding draft of the ruling of the Chamber has been prepared by the Ministry of Economic Development, according to "Vedomosti".

According to the document, the trial period will last 3 years and cover 6 airports: St. Petersburg, Zhukovsky, Sochi, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. During the test, the autonomous machine will deliver luggage to aircraft without the involvement of drivers.

As reported to the Ministry of Economic Development, unmanned vehicles are planned to be used not only for transporting luggage. They are also intended to be used for the clearance of airfields and aprons, as well as for patrolling airport infrastructure.

One of the participants in the project will be Pulkovo. His operator has already signed a contract for up to 45 self-driving tractors. The company Cognitive Pilot confirmed participation in the tests and noted that the technique would work using a technology of "pink" artificial intelligence, allowing machines to exchange data in real time.

According to the airport’s assessment, the introduction of autonomous machinery would reduce operating costs, increase labor productivity by about 25%, and accelerate baggage handling by 23%. In addition to carrying luggage, such machines could eventually perform other tasks: clear snow, mow grass, patrol the area and even transport passengers.

Information source "Tourdom.ru": https://www.tourdom.ru/news/bagazh-v-rossiyskikh-aeroportakh-teper-budut-dostavlyat-bespilotniki.html

Use of photo "Delovoi Peterburg": https://www.dp.ru/a/2026/06/17/pulkovo-pervim-v-rossii-vnedrit