Aviation specialist appointed Director of Global Airport Operations by Aurrigo International
Aurrigo International, the UK-based specialist in autonomous vehicles and mobility robotics, has appointed Mark Gower as Director of Global Airport Operations in a move designed to accelerate the scaling of its autonomous technology across the aviation sector. The newly created non-board role signals the company’s shift from proof-of-concept trials to repeatable, standardised commercial deployments at airports worldwide.
With several autonomous vehicle deployments already live, Aurrigo is strengthening its end-to-end delivery capability and building a more consistent global operating model. Gower’s appointment is intended to bring the operational rigour needed to scale those deployments from individual trials into a repeatable commercial programme.
Gower brings more than 25 years of experience in safety-critical aviation operations. He was most recently Managing Director of Gatwick Ground Services (GGS), a wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways. During his tenure he grew the business from 340 to more than 1,200 employees. GGS provides a full range of turnaround and ground handling services at London Gatwick Airport, supporting British Airways, Iberia Express, Vueling and various long-haul carriers, and handles over 50,000 aircraft movements annually. Before that, Gower held senior leadership roles at Aviator Airport Alliance, where he was responsible for approximately 8,000 employees across five UK locations. His career spans regulated environments, complex large-scale operations and full profit-and-loss accountability.
“Aurrigo has already made strong progress in getting its technology into live airport operations,” Gower said. “I’m joining at a point where there’s a clear opportunity to build consistency and scale from that foundation, and I’m looking forward to being part of that next stage of the journey.”
Gower’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the business, which has just started production of its autonomous vehicles — including the Auto-DollyTug®, Auto-Cargo® and Auto-Shuttle® — at a new manufacturing hub on Power Park in Coventry. The site, covering 130,615 square feet, is more than three times the size of Aurrigo’s previous facility. It will serve as the company’s UK centre for advanced engineering, autonomous vehicle development, high-volume manufacturing and ongoing automotive activities.
The premises were secured with turnkey infrastructure already in place, including IT systems, fully fitted offices, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and manufacturing facilities, enabling rapid operational ramp-up. Crucially, the site also includes space for an on-site autonomous vehicle test track, supporting in-house validation, customer demonstrations and accelerated development cycles. At full capacity the facility is projected to manufacture over 500 autonomous vehicles annually.
The new hub will underpin delivery of a £6.28 million contract with Ultra Global for 25 autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), as well as supporting Aurrigo’s wider international hub and licensing programme. That programme is actively seeking local relationships, funding and manufacturing support in regions including Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the US to accelerate global commercialisation.
Aurrigo has developed six types of autonomous vehicles aimed at reducing costs, resolving operational issues and tackling labour shortages, while also improving sustainability. The Auto-DollyTug® is an all-electric vehicle that combines the utility of a baggage tractor with the unit load device (ULD) carrying capability of an airport dolly, and can autonomously load and unload ULDs. It has been tested at Stuttgart Airport in Germany and Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The Auto-Cargo® is Aurrigo’s largest aviation vehicle to date, designed for air cargo handling with a 4,500kg onboard capacity and the ability to tow an additional 12,000kg trailer. It is a fully electric, zero-emission alternative to diesel-powered models and has been deployed at East Midlands Airport by UPS. The Auto-Shuttle® is a 10-seat passenger vehicle that can operate autonomously or be driven manually, designed for public transport and airport applications such as VIP transport and crew movements. Trials have taken place at Cambridge, the National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham Airport.
Originally formed within the RDM Group, Aurrigo has a heritage of over 30 years in vehicle engineering and automation systems. It operates through three divisions: Automotive Technology, Autonomous Technology, and Aviation Technology. The company went public on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market (ticker: AURR) on 15 September 2022. In late 2025 and early 2026 it raised £14.1 million to support global expansion and facility build-out. For the financial year ended 31 December 2024, total revenue was £8.9 million, a 34% increase from the previous year, with the Autonomous Division showing growth of 433%. As of 30 June 2025 the company had a trailing 12-month revenue of $11 million.
The aviation industry is increasingly turning to automation and autonomous systems to address labour shortages, rising operational costs and the need for greater efficiency and sustainability. Aurrigo’s vehicles are designed to transform airside logistics by automating baggage and cargo handling as well as passenger movement, potentially reducing aircraft turnaround times and cutting carbon emissions. While other companies are active in autonomous shuttle development for airports, Aurrigo’s focus on integrated airside solutions covering baggage, cargo and passenger transport positions it as a comprehensive provider in this niche.
Prof. David Keene MBE, CEO of Aurrigo International, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Mark to Aurrigo. His background in large-scale airport operations and delivery will be a strong addition to the team, as we continue to build momentum and move towards a more structured and scalable approach across our deployment programme.”
The new Coventry facility, with its capacity to manufacture more than 500 autonomous vehicles per year at full output, is already operational to support the £6.28 million Ultra Global contract and the production of the Auto-DollyTug®, Auto-Cargo® and Auto-Shuttle® lines.
