A MAJOR UK airport has now become the first to introduce robotic valet parking – which uses no human interaction at all.
But one catch could see certain travellers excluded from the service.
London Gatwick Airport has officially brought in a new Robotic Parking system, said to be designed with customer comfort in mind.
Officially announced two months ago, passengers have already begun to use the parking service from August, which sees drivers leave their vehicle at a private drop-off garage before heading to the terminal.
The “state-of-the-art” robot then takes over, gently hoisting the car from underneath its wheels and moving it to an access-restricted parking area.
One key difference from traditional airport parking is that customers are able to keep hold of their car keys throughout their trip.
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When a passenger returns from holiday, the system receives an alert that they have landed.
This means that when they arrive at the South Terminal car park, their vehicle should already be ready for collection.
However, there are some limitations, with 5 per cent of vehicle models not compatible with the new technology.
This includes popular models such as a Range Rover Sport Hybrid, Renault Trafic Van, as well as SUVs with roof boxes.
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It also costs around £109 for a five-day stay (travellers are unable to use the service for shorter stays) and passengers are currently only able to drop off their vehicles on weekdays between 9am and 5pm.
Located at the South Terminal, passengers can reach the parking lot following the marked signs for Robotic Parking, once within the Long Stay car park entrance barriers.
Gatwick airport also said the area includes 24-hour security patrols, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) at the entrance and exit, perimeter fencing, floodlighting and no public access.