Driving £124,174.99 in Savings and 64% ROI: Heathrow Airport’s Success with Gausium’s Autonomous Cleaning Solutions

Overview

Heathrow, the largest airport in the UK and one of the top 10 busiest airports in the world, welcomed a record 83.9 million passengers in 2024. Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene across its terminals is a top priority, not only to ensure safety but also to provide a welcoming and enjoyable experience for passengers.

Mitie has served as Heathrow’s cleaning contractor, providing services across all terminals since 2022. In partnership with Mitie and ICE (Gausium’s distributor in the UK), Heathrow sought an innovative solution to overcome staffing shortages, reduce operational inefficiencies, and elevate the passenger experience. The deployment included 34 state-of-the-art Gausium robotic scrubbers (Scrubber 50 & 75) along with 18 charging docks. Since implementing Gausium’s autonomous cleaning solutions in October 2022, the airport has achieved significant gains in productivity, cost-efficiency, and sustainability.

Customer: Mitie & Heathrow Airport

Industry: Public Transport – Airport

Region: UK

Products Used: Scrubber 50 & Scrubber 75 + Charging Docks

Quantity: 34 units of robots + 18 units of charging docks

Deployment Date: October 2022 onwards

Deployment Locations: Check-in areas, Airside locations

Image credit to: Mitie

Challenges

Heathrow Airport’s cleaning operations faced several persistent challenges that impacted both operational efficiency and service quality. Key issues included:

• High Staff Turnover: With 45% of cleaning staff working on agency contracts, service consistency and quality were often compromised.
• Sickness Absences: Regular absenteeism caused significant disruptions to daily cleaning routines, creating operational bottlenecks.
• Time-Intensive Cleaning Processes: Manual water emptying and refilling took up to 7 minutes per cycle, which accumulated to thousands of hours annually and drained valuable resources.
• Passenger Perception: Ensuring spotless floors in high-traffic areas was crucial for maintaining Heathrow’s reputation as a world-class airport.

The Solution: Gausium Scrubber 50 & 75

Image credit to: Mitie

To tackle these challenges, ICE and Mitie deployed 25 Scrubber 50 and 9 Scrubber 75 throughout Heathrow’s check-in areas and airside locations. Key features that made Gausium robots the ideal choice included:

• Water Recycling Technology: The Scrubber 50 and Scrubber 75 are equipped with an advanced multi-stage water filtration systemthat recycles and reuses up to 80% of water during operations. This technology eliminates the need for manual tank emptying and refilling—a process that previously consumed 7 minutes per cycle. By removing this repetitive task, Heathrow saves approximately 10,000 hours per terminal annually, freeing staff to focus on critical priorities.
• Superior Cleaning Performance: The autonomous scrubbers delivered exceptional results, leaving the floors with a “Dubai Airport-like shine” that exceeded expectations.
• Data-Driven Monitoring: Gausium’s intelligent robots offered real-time performance data, enabling consistent operation and facilitating monitoring despite the challenges posed by staffing shortages.

Results & Benefits

The deployment of Gausium’s autonomous cleaning robots delivered impressive, measurable outcomes across Heathrow’s operations, demonstrating the significant value of automation in high-demand environments. Here are the key results:

• Water Savings: A staggering 340,704 liters of water saved annually in just Terminal 5, thanks to the innovative water recycling technology in Gausium’s robots. This not only contributed to sustainability but also reduced operational costs related to water consumption.
• Energy Efficiency: The robots saved 1,441.44 kW of energy per year, which directly contributes to lowering the airport’s overall environmental footprint. This energy conservation aligns with Heathrow’s broader sustainability goals.
• Labor Optimization: By automating the time-consuming task of water management, the robots reclaimed 1,760 hours of labor annually. This freed up cleaning staff to focus on higher-value tasks, enhancing overall operational efficiency.
• Return on Investment (ROI): Heathrow realized a £124,174.99 net savings over a 5-year period, with an impressive 64% ROI. These substantial savings highlight the cost-effectiveness of adopting Gausium’s autonomous technology in large-scale operations.

Testimonials

Julie Kitchener, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, ICE:

“Gausium’s robots have played a crucial role in addressing the ongoing labor shortage. Their team was responsive and delivered tailored upgrades specifically for Heathrow, ensuring the solution fit perfectly within our operations.”

Glen Moss, Head of Innovation, Mitie:

“The floors now shine like those of Dubai Airport—brilliant! The robots have not only improved operational efficiency but have also elevated passenger perception. This solution is a game-changer.”

About Mitie

Mitie is a leading facilities management company headquartered in the UK, offering a wide range of integrated services across various sectors, including transport, healthcare, and commercial offices. With a strong focus on innovation, sustainability, and customer-centric solutions, Mitie has been at the forefront of delivering tailored strategies that drive efficiency and enhance operational outcomes. Their partnership with Network Rail underscores their commitment to adopting advanced technologies to meet evolving client and public needs.

About ICE

With over 50 years of experience, ICE is the UK’s largest independent provider of cleaning equipment. ICE manages thousands of sites across the UK and Ireland in a wide variety of sectors including retail, healthcare, warehousing, manufacturing, distribution, and education.

About Gausium

Gausium is a leading company of AI-powered autonomous cleaning solutions with more than 4,000 customers in more than 70 countries and regions. Products and services of Gausium include commercial floor cleaning robots, docking stations, cloud platform and application software, and more in the pipeline. Driven by a vision to lead the intelligent digital transformation of the cleaning and service industry, Gausium offers the world’s most comprehensive portfolio of commercial cleaning robots, empowering individuals to work smarter and lead more fulfilling lives.