Waymo Launches Robotaxi Service at San Antonio International Airport

Waymo has begun offering commercial robotaxi services at San Antonio International Airport, expanding its autonomous ride-hail operations to a new U.S. market, according to a report by TechCrunch published Tuesday. The launch makes San Antonio one of a small group of U.S. cities where members of the public can hail a fully driverless vehicle for commercial rides. Waymo One, the company's consumer-facing service, operates commercially in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, where it has completed millions of trips. Airport deployments represent a strategically important category for autonomous vehicle companies, as airports generate dense, predictable trip demand with clearly defined pickup and drop-off zones. The structured environment of an airport. fixed routes, regulated traffic, clear signage. is in some respects more tractable for autonomous systems than navigating complex urban neighborhoods. Waymo is a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company. The company has invested heavily in its autonomous vehicle technology over more than a decade, accumulating millions of miles of real-world autonomous driving data. It uses a suite of sensors including lidar, radar, and cameras to navigate without human intervention. The San Antonio expansion comes as Waymo faces growing competition from Tesla, which has announced plans to launch its own robotaxi service, and from Chinese companies including WeRide, which has received permits to operate in several U.S. states. Waymo did not disclose the number of vehicles deployed at San Antonio International Airport or the pricing for the service at launch.