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Leipzig/Halle Launches New Test of Autonomous Snowplows as Berlin Expands Fleet

The trials will test if GPS-guided vehicles can clear runways independently once authorities set liability rules

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Overview

  • Leipzig/Halle airport has begun renewed June trials of GPS-guided autonomous snowplows to evaluate performance under real-world conditions
  • Berlin’s BER airport integrated one autonomous vehicle into its winter fleet in late 2024 and ordered two more for its automation program
  • The snowplows have demonstrated round-the-clock operation in all weather with a safety driver onboard who has never needed to take control
  • Manufacturer Aebi Schmidt anticipates fully driverless models within three to four years and has called for regulators to define liability before deployment
  • Stuttgart airport has paused further testing while major hubs like Chicago’s O’Hare monitor the technology for potential use in heavy snow operations