Waymo Starts Rides at Las Vegas Airport

Visitors landing in Las Vegas can now, in some cases, step off a plane and into a car with nobody behind the wheel. Waymo said on Wednesday that it has started rides to and from Harry Reid International Airport, barely a month after opening its Las Vegas service to the public.

Access is limited for now, and TechCrunch said the airport rides will be open at first to just a few riders. “Current Waymo riders in Las Vegas now have airport access, and we’ll gradually welcome more riders over time before opening to everyone,” the company said in a blog post. It gave no date for opening the service to all.

Pickups run from two terminals

Riders are picked up and dropped off at dedicated autonomous vehicle zones on the Ground Zero Level of Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, Waymo says. They can travel to any destination within the company’s current 24-square-mile Las Vegas service area, which it plans to extend over time.

It is the sixth major airport Waymo serves, TechCrunch reported, after Phoenix Sky Harbor, Nashville International, San Antonio International, San Francisco International and San José International. Waymo only began offering public rides in Las Vegas in September, so the airport has come quickly. The company describes Harry Reid as one of the busiest airports in the United States and the main gateway for the millions of visitors who travel to Las Vegas each year.

The airport sees more options for travellers

“We serve millions of passengers every year, and as new technologies continue to evolve, we’re always looking for ways to bring new options and added convenience to our travelers,” said James C. Chrisley, Clark County’s director of aviation, in Waymo’s announcement.

Arica Gately, who leads airport business development and partnerships at Waymo, said the rides offer “a seamless, stress-free way for travelers to catch a flight or hit the town”.

Las Vegas is becoming a bigger bet

The airport link builds on recent tie-ups in the city. Waymo says it is now the official ride-hailing partner of the Las Vegas Raiders and Allegiant Stadium, and of The Venetian Resort. Airports matter because they generate steady, longer trips, and in a city built on tourism they put the service in front of people who may never have ridden in a driverless car. Each new airport also tests how well the cars handle crowded kerbs, shuttle buses and the stop-start traffic around terminals.

Waymo has not said how many vehicles serve the airport or what trips cost. The next milestone is the one it has promised but not dated: opening airport rides to every rider in Las Vegas.