Way back in 2011, Heathrow Airport launched a novel way of getting passengers from their parked cars to its Terminal 5. The Pod Parking system allows users to sit in “small driverless electric vehicles” which run automatically on laser-assisted guiderails.
In the project’s first 18 months it won multiple awards and was described as “British engineering, design and execution at its best,” by then-MP and government minister Alan Duncan.
But at £8 (approximately $10) per journey, the pods are aimed at business travellers with the budget to pay for the short journey from the business car parking section, where they already pay £46.30 ($50) per 24-hour stay.
In 2018, local entertainment and lifestyle publication The Londonist wrote a neat description of the Pods and how to use them. They even made a fun video.
The Pod system was designed by Ultra Global PRT, owned 75% by Heathrow Airport, in conjunction with the University of Bristol. Another firm, Firstco, were brought in to assist and later manage the system.
In December 2010, Firstco were asked to provide specialised support to ensure the final product achieved its ground-breaking potential.
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By GlobalData“Firstco, alongside a team of Ultra Global PRT engineers, worked to provide procedure manuals for several systems to use as part of the operations, maintenance and asset control before the system went live.
“The collaboration was later extended when Firstco was asked to continue working throughout the trials to verify reliability and availability criteria, optimising the system in time to welcome the passengers.”
Firstco’s collaboration was extended, and it was awarded the “support contract” in 2011, meaning it was responsible for running the systems and maintenance of the vehicles.
But, mysteriously, this is where the trail (or guiderail, if you will) goes cold.
What’s gone wrong?
Fast-forward to 2025, and the Pod system is still running. But according to images seen by Airport Technology, the Pods themselves are in an unloved state, and that’s being kind.
The paint is peeling. The seat covers are worn out and appear to be water-damaged. Passengers are greeted by a smell of damp and mould.
These are not the conditions that premium business traveller-targeted transport options usually aim for, especially when the price is considered.
Who’s responsible?
In a reply to a post on LinkedIn, Firstco denied it still holds the maintenance contract for the Pod Parking system. Curiously, the system is still advertised on the Firstco website under a section titled “Our Projects”.
As Airport Technology readers will understand, the majority of new contracts for airport systems are accompanied by a press release or a statement for investors.
But after a significant search, no further announcement that would explain what company now holds the contract for maintenance of the Pods can be found.
Heathrow Airport’s press office has not responded to multiple requests for clarification on the matter.
So the question remains… What is going on, and who is responsible?
This might seem trivial, but it’s not.
If the state of the Pods seen by Airport Technology is repeated across the entire fleet, it poses not only a reputational risk for Heathrow (the UK’s biggest and busiest airport, which pitches itself as the business gateway to London), but a safety and fire risk too.
It also raises further questions. If the interiors have been left to decay, what is the state of the critical safety and propulsion systems?
