Waymo launches robotaxi service at Phoenix airport

Waymo has launched a new robotaxi service at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Select passengers on the Waymo One service can now drive or summon a robocar directly to the curbside of Terminals 3 and 4.

Here's What We Know

This became possible through a partnership between Waymo and the airport. According to Chad Makovsky, Sky Harbor's director of aviation, they already collaborated last year to launch the world's first airport robotaxi service.

The new service runs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for now and is only available to active Waymo passengers in Phoenix. However, the company plans to soon expand it to a 24/7 service for all customers as well.

The expansion of the service comes amid problems for Waymo's competitor Cruise. After an incident on 2 October, when Cruise's robot taxi hit a pedestrian, the company laid off nearly a quarter of its employees.

Waymo, on the other hand, is actively developing its service, including for airports. According to the company, the robotaxis have already made tens of thousands of trips around airports and serve more than a thousand bookings a week with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating.

Source: TechCrunch