The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will test electric self-driving shuttles at Newark Liberty International Airport next month as it explores new ways to move passengers around the airport during a sweeping redevelopment project.

The agency announced today it is partnering with three autonomous vehicle technology firms, Oceaneering, Ohmio and Glydways, to conduct separate two-week pilot programs in non-public areas of the airport. The tests, scheduled for March through May 2026, will simulate a high-capacity shuttle network operating in a complex airport environment.

Officials said the demonstrations will help determine whether automated shuttles could provide connections between Newark Liberty International Airport and the new AirTrain Newark system now under construction. The replacement AirTrain is scheduled to open in 2030, and planning is underway for a future Terminal B that would sit adjacent to a future AirTrain station.

In a statement, Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia explained thatnautonomous vehicles are increasingly part of modern transportation systems worldwide and that the agency must prepare for the next generation of travel.

Officials said autonomous vehicles could provide a safer, more efficient and potentially more cost-effective alternative to traditional buses, though conventional electric buses are also under consideration as part of broader redevelopment mitigation plans.

The Port Authority’s $3.5 billion AirTrain Newark replacement project began construction in October 2025. The existing AirTrain system, which opened in 1996 when the airport served about 30 million passengers annually, cannot be expanded or upgraded to newer technology and constrains future growth, officials said. Newark Liberty handled nearly 50 million passengers in 2024, and AirTrain ridership is projected to grow 50% by 2040.

The new AirTrain route will provide direct access to the airport’s Terminal A, eliminating the current 15-minute walk between the station and the terminal, officials said.