GoKawiilLondon Gatwick has become the first UK airport to introduce robotic parking, allowing passengers to leave their car in a private drop-off cabin. Autonomous robots park it in a secure storage area and car owners don’t need to hand over their keys.
The new service, launched in partnership with Stanley Robotics, is now available to book ahead of its first customer journeys in August. Eliminating the hassle of searching for a parking space, the technology gets passengers from their car to the terminal more quickly while making more efficient use of airport parking capacity.
How Gatwick’s robotic parking works
Instead of driving around a car park looking for an available space, passengers simply drive into a private enclosed cabin near the South Terminal and scan their booking.
After parking the vehicle inside the cabin, they leave the car and keep their keys. A Stanley Robotics autonomous parking robot then slides underneath the vehicle, lifts it by its tyres and transports it to a secure storage area.
Passengers provide their return flight details during the booking process, allowing the system to monitor their arrival and have the vehicle waiting in a collection cabin when they return.
The facility is within walking distance of the South Terminal, although a free shuttle bus is also available.
No need to hand over your keys
Unlike traditional valet parking, passengers retain possession of their keys throughout their trip.
According to London Gatwick, this offers additional peace of mind while the automated system handles parking and retrieval.
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