Airbus has completed a three-year research program into autonomous aircraft taxiing after conducting 30 hours of tests with an A350 at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in July 2026.
The results were disclosed by French newspaper La Dépêche on October 8. The tests demonstrated the ability of the aircraft to navigate airport taxiways automatically, detect obstacles and stop when necessary, although Airbus has not announced plans to introduce the technology on production aircraft.
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Known as Optimate, the system uses cameras, radar, lidar and positioning technologies to monitor the aircraft's surroundings. Pilots select a destination through a cockpit interface, and the system calculates the route and controls the aircraft's movements on the ground. The crew can resume manual control at any time.
The Optimate research program began in late 2023 and was publicly presented by Airbus in May 2024. Engineers initially tested the technology using an electric truck equipped with an experimental A350 cockpit. The vehicle reproduced airport ground operations without requiring a commercial aircraft.
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The research campaign included approximately 1,500 hours of simulation and 500 hours of testing with the modified vehicle before the trials with the A350 in Paris.
The technology is intended to assist pilots at complex airports, where crews must follow taxi instructions, monitor other aircraft and ground vehicles, and identify potential runway incursions.
Airbus had already demonstrated automatic taxiing, takeoff and landing with an A350 through its ATTOL project in 2020. In January 2023, the manufacturer also disclosed results from its DragonFly demonstrator, which tested autonomous taxi assistance, emergency diversion and automatic landing capabilities on an A350-1000. Optimate concentrates on ground navigation and obstacle detection in the airport environment.
The manufacturer has not disclosed a certification schedule or indicated whether the system will be offered on the A350 or other commercial aircraft.
