PHOENIX – Travelers can now use Waymo robot taxis to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport terminals 24 hours a day.
“Offering fully autonomous rides directly to airport terminals 24/7 is another groundbreaking milestone for Waymo One. We are grateful to our partners at Sky Harbor for working with us every step of the way to enable these important pickup and drop-off locations for our drivers,” Brad Gillette, market manager for Waymo in Phoenix, said in a statement Tuesday.
Waymo starts with @PHXSkyHarbor! Starting today, we’re offering 24/7 curbside pickup and drop-off for all riders. And this week, we’ll surpass 100,000 airport rides. Prefer the PHX Sky Train? Don’t worry, we’ll still serve the 24th and 44th Street stations! pic.twitter.com/pszKCR1Tpa
— Waymo (@Waymo) 27 August 2024
Waymo One, the world’s first driverless ride-sharing service, has been offering curbside service at Terminals 3 and 4 since December 2023, but only during off-peak hours.
Since then, the company has been working with city and airport authorities to safely expand availability.
“Sky Harbor is the first airport in the country to offer this service, and we are excited to continue to enhance the options and service at Phoenix Sky Harbor,” Mayor Kate Gallego said in a video posted on social media.
Great news for Phoenix residents and visitors! @Waymo now offers the option of dropping off luggage at the curb around the clock @PHXSkyHarbor. Phoenix continues to lead the way in innovative and exciting travel experiences. I was able to try out the new feature myself. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/SeXYOaoowz
— Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) 27 August 2024
Since when has Waymo been offering its services at Phoenix Airport?
Waymo announced it will complete its 100,000th trip to Phoenix airport this week. The autonomous SUVs began picking up and dropping off passengers at the airport’s PHX Sky Train stations in December 2022.
The company, which began as Google’s self-driving vehicle division, has gradually expanded its capabilities since its debut in October 2022, with a service area covering about 50 square miles in and around Chandler.
Passengers can hail the robot taxis using a mobile app, similar to Uber and Lyft. The vehicles do not yet transport passengers on highways, but tests are underway to add this capability.
The service area has grown to 315 square miles and covers parts of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe and Chandler.
The most recent 90-mile expansion in June of this year included part of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale, marking the first foray of the autonomous ride-sharing industry into tribal lands.