NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Waymo has begun carrying passengers to and from Nashville International Airport in its driverless cars, adding the airport to a ride-hailing service that has operated in the city since April.
Airport trips started on Tuesday for a limited number of riders, and Waymo will gradually open them to everyone, the company said on its rider help page. Riders will be told in the Waymo app when the option becomes available to them, WSMV reported. Pickups and drop-offs are at a dedicated Waymo space at the D1 curb of the airport's Ground Transportation Center, according to a release reported by WKRN and TravelPulse. Waymo's help page lists the spot in Terminal Garage 2.
Nashville is the fifth airport Waymo serves, after Phoenix Sky Harbor International, San Jose Mineta International, San Francisco International and San Antonio International, according to the release. WKRN reported that Waymo is the first fully autonomous ride-hailing service to offer airport trips in Tennessee.
"BNA takes great pride in introducing innovative ways to enhance the passenger journey, and welcoming Waymo provides travelers with another convenient transportation option to and from the airport," Doug Kreulen, president and chief executive of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, said in the release.
Arica Gately, Waymo's head of airport business development and partnerships, said the service "provides a convenient and reliable new way to catch your next flight." She added, "With our growing number of airports and cities served, Waymo can now offer a door-to-door experience for your next air travel."
Waymo began inviting public riders in Nashville on April 7 across an initial 60-square-mile service area and said at the time that it was testing at the airport. It opened the service to anyone on June 25. Since September, Lyft riders in the city have also been matched with Waymo vehicles, making Nashville the first market where Waymo rides are offered on both companies' apps. Tuesday's announcements referred to the Waymo app and did not say whether airport trips can be booked through Lyft.
The airport has been preparing for the cars for months. In July, an airport spokesperson told WZTV that its public safety officers and dispatchers were scheduled for first responder training and that Waymo would keep a round-the-clock onsite team to deal with disabled vehicles once commercial operations began.
The airport service follows the opening this month of an 80,000-square-foot depot near the airport, run by Lyft's Flexdrive unit, that is built to charge, clean and maintain hundreds of Waymo vehicles. Lyft said the site would begin receiving Waymo cars on Oct. 12. The announcements did not say how many vehicles will serve the airport or when all riders will have access.
