Karsan tested its autonomous driving technology this time at Türkiye's most important airport. The autonomous bus e-ATAK, developed by the company in collaboration with ADASTEC, conducted a demo operation together with Turkish Airlines at iGA Istanbul Airport between April 29 and May 15, 2026. This test signifies that the autonomous capability, which the vehicle had previously proven in snow and ice in Sweden and turned into commercial operation at Rotterdam Airport, was this time put to the test on the high-security apron area of an airport.
Tested in Real Traffic on the Apron
Within the scope of the demo, the tests were structured around two different operational scenarios. The first scenario simulated the transportation of shift teams to their work areas, while the second scenario tested the transportation of flight crews to aircraft parking positions. Since these scenarios are critical parts of an airport's daily operational flow, the test results are highly significant.
What was particularly noteworthy was that the vehicle moved not in a test environment but within the real operational traffic on the apron, alongside other service vehicles. This provided the opportunity to directly measure the performance of autonomous driving technology in areas requiring high security and intensive operations. The demo operations also yielded important operational outputs regarding the integration of autonomous technologies into airport workflows.
Technology That Turned into Commercial Success in Rotterdam
This demo at iGA Istanbul Airport was actually not the Autonomous e-ATAK's first experience in an airport environment. Karsan had already achieved the success of being the first brand to start using autonomous vehicles at Rotterdam Airport in 2024. With two Autonomous e-ATAK vehicles delivered at the end of the year, the company had started commercial passenger transport on a 5-kilometre route between the Meijersplein metro station and Rotterdam The Hague Airport. This project was also Karsan's first export to the Netherlands.
The Rotterdam experience serves as a reference that multiplies the value of the test at iGA. The fact that what was carried out as a demo in Istanbul has already turned into commercial operation in Rotterdam provides concrete evidence of the technology's level of maturity. The Autonomous e-ATAK, actively used for passenger and employee transport at Rotterdam Airport, has already proven the feasibility of autonomous driving in an airport environment.
Turkish Autonomous Technology Overcoming the Toughest Tests
Karsan's autonomous technology journey, from the freezing winter of Sweden to the regular airport operations of Rotterdam, and from there to the intense apron traffic of Istanbul, reveals the platform's versatility. While the focus in Northern Europe was on sensors coping with snow and ice, in Rotterdam, reliability and punctuality on scheduled services became critical. On the iGA apron, flawless navigation is required between aircraft, service vehicles, and ground crews. Achieving successful results in all three environments demonstrates the maturity of ADASTEC's software and Karsan's hardware infrastructure.
Frankfurt Experience Also Among References
The demo at iGA Istanbul Airport is not Karsan's only reference in airport operations. The company had previously successfully completed a two-week demo operation at Frankfurt Airport as well. This reference, obtained at one of Europe's busiest airports, further increases the importance of the work in Istanbul. The commercial operation in Rotterdam, the demo in Frankfurt, and the test in Istanbul: the operational data obtained from three different airports constitute a comprehensive accumulation of knowledge on how autonomous mobility solutions can be integrated into airports of different scales.
About the Autonomous e-ATAK
The Autonomous e-ATAK, developed by Karsan in collaboration with ADASTEC, is a fully electric bus with Level 4 autonomous driving capability. Offering a passenger capacity of 47 to 52 depending on the seating arrangement, the vehicle is equipped with numerous LiDAR sensors, advanced radar technology, high-resolution RGB cameras, and thermal cameras for extra environmental safety. Thanks to its high-definition mapping technology, it can drive safely even in areas with limited communication and lighting, such as tunnels.
Already in use for commercial passenger transport in Norway and Romania, for campus transportation at Michigan State University, for urban operations in Sweden, and for airport transfers at Rotterdam Airport, the vehicle expands its reference list with each new operation.
Thanks from Karsan to iGA and THY
In a statement following the completion of the demo operation, Karsan expressed: "We thank Turkish Airlines and iGA Istanbul Airport for their shared vision towards the future of mobility and their cooperation." This collaboration is a significant development as it demonstrates the importance two major Turkish institutions attach to autonomous technologies and the confidence they have in Karsan's global achievements spanning from Rotterdam to Frankfurt, from Sweden to Istanbul.
