Waymo launches robotaxi service to San Francisco International Airport
By Tim Fang
Waymo announced Thursday that its robotaxi service is now available to and from San Francisco International Airport, ahead of upcoming major events in the Bay Area including the Super Bowl and World Cup.
The autonomous vehicle company said in a blog post access to SFO is being offered to “a select number of riders”, which will expand gradually over the coming months.
“Serving rides to and from San Francisco International Airport delivers one of the most requested features for our riders and further deepens our relationship with the city,” said Tekedra Mawakana, the company’s co-CEO. “With millions traveling in for major events this year, we look forward to meeting the growing demand for reliable, fully autonomous rides.”
Initially, Waymo will conduct pickups and drop-offs at the Rental Car Center, which connects to the terminals via AirTrain. The company said there are plans in the future to serve additional airport locations, including the terminals.
“As the global gateway to a region of innovation, this new option demonstrates our continued commitment to providing an extraordinary travel experience with transportation options that are safe, sustainable, and reliable,” said airport director Mike Nakornkhet.
While many riders are excited, some others are concerned that the autonomous cars are just not ready for busy airports.
Mark Gruberg has been driving taxis for roughly 40 years. He said that if Waymos are eventually allowed to go directly to the terminal, he sees major problems in the future.
“Any one car can paralyze the airport entrances and exits if it’s in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Gruberg said. “These vehicles have not shown, in my mind, they have not yet shown they’re capable of handling places as busy as crazy and as sensitive as an airport.”
Gruberg also worries about Waymos operating at higher speeds on the highway. And with the airport, he said that without a driver behind the wheel, he wonders what would happen if there were ever a cyber-attack or a terrorism threat.
“It’s a tremendous difference having a driver in the car because the driver can smell out some problem that’s in the making and very possibly stop it from happening,” he said.
While there are already many transportation options to get to the airport, San Francisco resident Carl Penny feels SFO could use another addition.
“San Francisco is a pretty busy place,” Penny said. “Especially the airport. I’ve seen thousands of people come and go throughout the day. It’s definitely needed.”
The launch of SFO service comes less than three months after robotaxi service was expanded to San Jose Mineta International Airport. Waymo also offers robotaxi service to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
In the Bay Area, Waymo offers rides to most of San Francisco, parts of the Peninsula and in some South Bay communities, including Mountain View, Sunnyvale and parts of San Jose.
