WHILL will roll out its “WHILL Self-Driving” wheelchair service at Nagoya Chubu Airport from October 1, 2024, the personal mobility company announced earlier this week.
Passengers departing from the airport will be able to use the wheelchairs after clearing security check at Terminal 2. Four wheelchairs will be available in total including two in the domestic and two in the international airside area. The wheelchairs will be able to autonomously take passengers to their departure gates and then return to their stations near security checkpoints.
“[The WHILL self-driving service] makes it possible for all customers, including those who normally borrow wheelchairs at information desks, those who are concerned about walking long distances or are not physically fit, and elderly people, to move around the large airport comfortably and without hesitation,” the company said in a statement.
While Nagoya Chubu will be the first airport in the Chubu region to offer the service, WHILL self-driving wheelchairs are already available in other airports in Japan including Tokyo Haneda (first location starting with Terminal 1 in 2020) and Narita, Osaka Kansai, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, and Naha. Earlier this year, the service was also rolled out for the first time in the United States, at Los Angeles and Miami airports.
