Auckland Airport: Passengers have to walk further if they want an Uber instead of a taxi

The new area for rideshare transport at Auckland Airport for companies such as Uber and Zoomy. Photo / Sam Stubbs

Auckland Airport's new space for rideshare transport has been slammed as favouring taxis and discriminating against customers who choose new, innovative methods of transport.

This month, Auckland Airport introduced a dedicated dedicated rideshare area for the likes of Uber and Zoomy operators.

Before then, rideshare operators at the domestic terminal were able to occupy the area just outside the Jetstar area.

Simplicity CEO Sam Stubbs, whose Kiwisaver fund is a shareholder in Auckland Airport and Wellington Airport, has slammed the spaces as putting "protecting revenues from taxi companies over its real customers".

Stubbs said the new area was a "downgrade" from before, making rideshare users walk about two minutes to an uncovered area.

However, Auckland Airport has defended the new space, saying it was selected in conjunction with Uber which wanted a dedicated location.

Stubbs said the area previously used was now full of "under-utilised taxis".

"It is an insult to individual customers to provide preferential treatment to a much more expensive service, making it much more difficult as well for older travellers and those in wheelchairs who will have to stand in the cold and rain for the service they want to use.

"Consequently, there are a huge number of empty taxis waiting to take customers on very expensive trips. It is a massive underutilisation of assets.

"It is very old-world thinking."

Stubbs said as a shareholder he was concerned the airport was chasing short-term gains at the expense of its true customers.

Uber spokeswoman Nicky Preston said the company was pleased Auckland Airport had developed dedicated rideshare areas to offer a streamlined experience for Uber riders.

She didn't have any comment in regards to the location of the space.

Auckland Airport retail and commercial general manager Richard Barker said the forecourts were space constrained, which meant a dedicated space for Uber could not be provided any closer at the domestic terminal.

He said moving Uber was not done to protect the commercial interests of one operator over another.

"We wholeheartedly support the growth of all forms of licensed operators to provide choice to how our customers travel to and from Auckland Airport.

"If a dedicated space was not requested, we were comfortable with them using the forecourt, as is the case at the international terminal, so it is not correct to presume that rideshare services are being disadvantaged over other providers."

Barker said the forecourt was used by several transport operators, including hotel shuttle bus services, rental car firms and off-airport parking companies.

Taxis and ride share operators such as Uber pay comparable charges to access the airport, "this was done to provide an even playing field," he said.