Park by Robot at London Gatwick Airport
London 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.
If passengers accidentally leave an essential item in the vehicle after drop-off, on-site staff will be available to retrieve emergency items.
Helping airports use parking space more efficiently
Robotic parking systems are designed to improve the customer experience while also maximising the number of vehicles that can be stored within a given footprint.
Because no one needs to access the vehicles once parked, cars can be positioned much closer together than in a conventional car park. This helps airports increase parking capacity without building additional parking infrastructure.
Stanley Robotics has deployed similar systems internationally. The Gatwick installation is its first deployment at a UK airport.
Supporting Gatwick’s future growth
Oli Bedford, Head of Airport Access, Marketing and Commercial Products at London Gatwick, described the service as “a real game-changer.”
“It’s quick, easy and completely hassle-free – and you even get to keep your keys, giving extra peace of mind while you’re enjoying your holiday,” Bedford said.
Stanley Robotics CEO Clément Boussard said the technology would help address future parking demand as the airport continues to grow.
“We are thrilled to partner with London Gatwick, a global leader in aviation, to deploy our solution and address their critical parking capacity challenges as they prepare for significant growth,” Boussard said. “This project marks a major milestone for Stanley Robotics in the UK, and we are proud to bring our innovative technology to one of the world’s most forward-thinking airports.”
Gatwick robotic parking vehicle requirements
The robotic parking service at Gatwick is available for most standard passenger cars, subject to the following limits:
- Maximum weight: 2.6 tonnes
- Maximum height: 2.3 metres
- Maximum wheelbase: 3.3 metres
- Maximum wheel diameter: 21 inches
The service must be booked in advance. Same-day drive-up parking is not available.