Adaptive Orchestration for Autonomous Airside Operations at Schiphol Airport
Design an adaptive orchestration model and maturity-aligned transition plan to facilitate the implementation of autonomous airside operations at Schiphol Airport’s docking operations across multiple levels of autonomy.
T.I. Pluym (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
S.C. Santema – Mentor (TU Delft - Responsible Marketing and Consumer Behavior)
A. Ianniello – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Emerging Materials)
Rosina Kotey – Graduation committee member (Royal Schiphol Group)
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Abstract
The aviation industry faces increasing pressure from sustainability concerns, labour shortages, and operational inefficiencies, driving airports toward automation solutions. This research addresses the challenge of orchestrating semi-autonomous and fully autonomous systems within airport operations, focusing on Schiphol Airport’s vision for autonomous airside operations by 2050. While automation technologies are looking promising in isolation, the development of an integrated system remains limited. As a result, there is a risk of creating isolated solutions that can obstruct coordinated efficiency gains if not addressed. This study uses a foresight-driven methodology combining backcasting and forecasting approaches, integrated with a specifically constructed six-layer maturity model which spans from manual operations to full autonomy. Using aircraft docking operations as a use case, the research develops a strategic roadmap for implementing remote monitoring and interventions functions that enables centralised orchestration of autonomous systems while maintaining human oversight. Findings reveal that successful automation integration requires a phased approach prioritising human-machine collaboration over an approach that solely focuses on technology implementation without sufficient organisational and ecosystem readiness. Current airport control operations are not sufficient for managing fleets of autonomous vehicles and processes, requiring new orchestration frameworks that balance automated efficiency with human decision-making capabilities. The proposed roadmap establishes three strategic horizons necessary for reaching the future vision: Foundation (controlled operations with basic automation support, Collaboration (intelligent operations with AI-assisted decision-making, and Autonomy (remote and resilient operations with minimal human intervention). To achieve this, Schiphol must adopt maturity-layered deployment strategies, leverage AI-growth strategically, and integrate co-development with change management. This research contributes a practical framework for Schiphol’s transition toward autonomous operations while maintaining operational safety, workforce trust, and regulatory compliance. The findings have broader implications for complex socio-technical systems which require coordinated automation integration.