Autonomous taxi operators using self-driving cars are targeting airports for the next phase of their expansion, shifting from city center travel to lucrative long-distance travel. Efforts by companies such as Waymo and WeRide will require operators to prove their ability to drive on highways and obtain permission to offer rides at airports.
Access to airports is a goal that ride-hailing companies and self-driving taxi companies strive for. This is due to the high cost, high demand and long distances traveled to transport passengers from the airport. This will expand self-driving companies' competition against traditional taxi operators as well as companies such as Uber and Lyft.
Waymo is operating extensively in the downtown San Francisco area, with average trips of about 2.5 miles. In comparison, the trip to the airport is 14 miles.
In addition to redoubling its lobbying efforts to gain access to the airport, Waymo has been testing its driverless taxis on San Francisco freeways since late summer 2024 and has applied for permission to map the airport area.
The company also began testing on Los Angeles freeways in January, a year after expanding its commercial driverless ride service to Arizona highways. Waymo has been providing rides at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport since December 2022.
In New York City, 80% of airport pick-up and drop-off services are provided by Uber and Lyft vehicles, with traditional taxis and other for-hire vehicles accounting for only 20%.
That's one reason why even companies like Aurora, which is currently focused on self-driving trucking, are prioritizing airport trips in their initial plans for driverless ride-hailing operations.
Motional has successfully tested its self-driving taxis at highway speeds at Hyundai Motor's proving grounds in California. Baidu has been testing its driverless taxis at China's Hong Kong International Airport, where rival Pony.ai is also targeting.
WeRide's self-driving taxis have been approved for commercial operation on the highway section connecting Beijing Daxing International Airport.
Interestingly, the expansion of driverless taxi companies from urban to highway driving contrasts with driver assistance systems, which start with assisted driving on highways and then expand to urban environments. Tesla may have an advantage because its fully self-driving system can handle both driving conditions, and it wouldn't be surprising if it offered service to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas in the near future.