Published 22 July 2026 · Last updated 11 August 2026
Powered mobility manufacturer WHILL has launched its Autonomous Mobility Service at Heathrow Airport, bringing self-driving powerchairs to one of the busiest international hubs in the world. The trial is running in Terminal 3 and marks the first UK deployment of a system that already operates across 26 airports and facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.
The service lets a passenger with reduced mobility select a destination gate, then travel there in a powerchair that navigates the terminal on its own. Sensors handle obstacle detection and crowd avoidance, and the chair returns to its docking point automatically once the journey ends. The point is independence, a passenger no longer has to wait for an assistance handler to become free before moving through the terminal.
Matthias Pape, Vice President of Business Development at WHILL’s Autonomous Service EMEA, said that as global travel continues to grow, airports are increasingly looking for innovative ways to improve accessibility while supporting operational efficiency. That second half matters as much as the first. Demand for pre-booked passenger assistance across UK transport has climbed steadily, and airports have struggled to staff it at peak times.
For anyone who already uses a powerchair or a mobility scooter day to day, airport travel tends to be the sharp end of the accessibility problem. Personal equipment is usually checked into the hold at the gate, leaving the traveller dependent on airport-supplied chairs and handlers for the walk to the aircraft door. An autonomous option does not solve the risk of damage to checked equipment, an ongoing complaint among wheelchair users, but it does remove one of the longest waits in the journey.
The Heathrow deployment is a trial rather than a permanent rollout, and WHILL has not confirmed whether the service will extend to other terminals or other UK airports. Passengers wanting to use it should still book assistance through their airline in the normal way, as the autonomous chairs supplement rather than replace the existing Passengers with Reduced Mobility service.
If you are weighing up a powerchair or scooter for everyday use rather than airport travel, our guides to wheelchairs and powerchairs and mobility scooters cover the practical differences, and our wheelchair costs guide sets out realistic UK pricing for manual, transit and powered models. You can read the original announcement at THIIS Magazine.
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- Mobility scooters
- Find a mobility company near you
Published 22 July 2026 · Last updated 11 August 2026