Waymo Begins Airport Rides at Las Vegas Harry Reid Airport

Waymo Launches Airport Service in Las Vegas Waymo has begun shuttling customers to and from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, adding airport trips to its robotaxi service in the city. Pickups and drop-offs take place at dedicated “autonomous vehicle zones” at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, the company announced Wednesday. The airport service follows Waymo’s public launch in Las Vegas in September. The company is already serving a 24-square-mile area of the city, and airport rides extend its service to travelers arriving at or departing from Harry Reid. Waymo’s airport operations are starting with limited access: rides to and from the airport will initially be available to only a few riders. The company said it plans to open the service to all customers later. The Las Vegas airport is the sixth major airport served by Waymo. Its existing airport markets are Phoenix Sky Harbor, Nashville International, San Antonio International, San Francisco International, and San José International. For now, the company’s airport pickups and drop-offs in Las Vegas are centered on the marked autonomous vehicle zones at Terminals 1 and 3. Airport Rides Start With Limited Access Waymo’s airport service is beginning with a limited number of riders. The company said rides to and from Harry Reid International Airport will initially be available to just a few customers before opening up to everyone. The phased rollout comes as Waymo builds out its service in Las Vegas. The company only began offering public rides in the city in September, yet its service already covers a 24-square-mile area. Airport trips add a new destination to that network, with pickups and drop-offs taking place at dedicated autonomous vehicle zones at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Waymo has not said when airport rides will become available to all customers. For now, the initial restriction means access will be narrower than the company’s broader Las Vegas ride service. The airport launch marks an expansion of local operations, while the rollout remains limited as Waymo prepares to open the trips to more riders. Las Vegas Is Waymo’s Sixth Airport Market With its Las Vegas launch, Waymo is adding Harry Reid International Airport to a network that already includes five other major airports. The company’s airport service in Las Vegas follows its operations at Phoenix Sky Harbor, Nashville International, San Antonio International, San Francisco International, and San José International. The expansion comes soon after Waymo began offering rides to the public in Las Vegas in September. Its service already covers a 24-square-mile area in the city, and airport trips extend that footprint to travel between the city and Harry Reid International. Pickups and drop-offs take place at dedicated “autonomous vehicle zones” at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Airport access is limited at first: Waymo says rides to and from the airport will initially be available to just a few riders before opening to all customers. That staged rollout makes the Las Vegas airport the company’s sixth major airport market, while the service’s airport availability starts on a smaller scale than its broader city coverage. Other Robotaxi Services Are Expanding in Las Vegas Waymo is not the only company bringing autonomous rides to Las Vegas. Amazon-owned Zoox already offers rides at the airport, giving travelers another robotaxi service in the city. More services may soon reach city streets. In August, state regulators approved permits that will allow Tesla and Uber to put thousands of robotaxis on Las Vegas streets in the next year. The permits point to a broader expansion of robotaxi operations beyond airport service, although the source does not specify when each company will begin offering rides or how its service will work. Waymo only began offering rides to the public in Las Vegas in September, and its service already covers a 24-square-mile area. Its airport rides are starting with limited access, while the regulator-approved permits could bring thousands of vehicles from Tesla and Uber to city streets over the coming year. Together with Zoox’s existing airport rides, these developments show that several robotaxi providers are establishing a presence in Las Vegas.