Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has launched its robotaxi service at San Antonio International Airport in Texas. The company confirmed on Tuesday that its self-driving vehicles will now drop off passengers curbside at the airport terminals and pick them up from the designated ride-share area.
This marks the first airport Waymo is servicing in Texas, where it currently operates commercial robotaxi services in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston. The expansion follows the company's established airport services at Phoenix Sky Harbor International and, more recently, at San Francisco International and San Jose Mineta International airports.
Phased Public Rollout Continues
Waymo launched its invitation-only robotaxi service in San Antonio in February 2025 and is scaling access on a rolling basis. The company stated its waitlist in the city now numbers "tens of thousands of people" and it plans to make the service available to all public riders soon. This cautious, phased approach mirrors the strategy used in Dallas, Houston, and Orlando.
Despite this measured rollout in individual cities, Waymo is in a period of rapid geographical expansion. The company aims to launch in approximately 20 new cities globally this year, including Tokyo and London. Its robotaxi service is currently live in 10 cities and is completing more than 500,000 paid rides per week, roughly double its volume from the same period last year.
Safety Investigations and Operational Challenges
This growth occurs alongside ongoing federal safety investigations. Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are probing incidents where Waymo vehicles illegally passed school buses that were loading or unloading children.
Waymo has issued software updates to address the issue but continues to work with local officials in Austin—where most documented incidents occurred—to refine its vehicles' behaviour around school buses. A separate NTSB and NHTSA investigation was opened after a Waymo robotaxi travelling at low speed struck a child in Santa Monica, resulting in minor injuries.
Behind the Scenes of Autonomous Operations
As Waymo scales, details of its operational support structure have emerged. The company employs dozens of "remote assistance" staff in the United States and the Philippines to guide vehicles through unexpected or complex scenarios. For rare instances where a vehicle becomes immobilised, Waymo relies on a team of "roadside assistance" workers and local first responders.
The company is also preparing to introduce a new vehicle model, the Zeekr-built van named Ojai, into its fleet later this year. Waymo cites internal data claiming its robotaxis are already safer than human drivers and are reducing the rate of serious crashes.