AUSTIN (KXAN) — Waymo recently announced plans to begin serving San Francisco SFO airport passengers, according to reports from Forbes and news outlets local to San Francisco.
The San Francisco Standard reported earlier this month that Waymo will roll out autonomous vehicle operations at the airport in three phases: testing with a safety driver, opening rides to Waymo and airport staff, and eventually offering paid ride services through rideshare app Uber.
Forbes reported that Waymo received similar permissions from airports in San José and San Carlos, and it has already been serving passengers at PHX in Phoenix “for some time.”
It begs the question: will the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport follow suit? To put it simply… maybe.
According to an AUS spokesperson, Waymo is in the testing phase of the service, where a human driver is behind the wheel and is not authorized to conduct commercial rides to or from AUS.
“AUS has only granted Waymo a permit for testing- we have not granted a permit for revenue generating rides, and we are not aware of that happening,” the AUS spokesperson added.
A spokesperson for Waymo said via email, “We are in active discussions with Austin Bergstrom International Airport and hope to serve riders there with Uber in the future.”
Waymo has been offering paid passenger rides through Uber in Austin since March.
Right now, Waymo’s Uber service area map for Austin does not include the airport, but it stretches as far as the northern edge of the airport’s vicinity and appears to pick up and drop off at The Parking Spot West, which shuttles customers to and from the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in May issued guidance to federally obligated airports that wish to test autonomous ground vehicle systems (AGVS).
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supports innovative technologies like AGVS but prioritizes the safe integration of these systems into active airport environments. The FAA’s Office of Airports Safety and Standards, along with the FAA’s Airport Technology Research and Development Branch, is currently studying how AGVS can be safely integrated into active airport environments. Until this research is complete, and formal guidance and standards are established by the FAA, AGVS should only be used for testing1 and demonstration purposes in non-movement areas, and certain remote and landside areas of the airport. These areas are viewed as safer environments for exploring this technology because they offer a more controlled, less-congested, and low-speed environment for testing, which will reduce the risk of accidents or incidents involving these vehicles.
Read more about FAA guidelines on AGVS in Emerging Entrants Bulletin 25-02 and Part 139 CertAlert 24-02: Autonomous Ground Vehicle Systems Technology on Airports.
The timeline is unclear for future Waymo operations or expansions at AUS. KXAN asked the Waymo spokesperson for further details about the autonomous vehicle company’s operations at the airport and will update this story if we receive a response.
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