Alaska’s Fairbanks Airport has been forced to close an access route because a flaw with Apple’s Maps app was instructing motorists to use the airplane taxiway as a means for getting to their final destination.
Two drivers were reported to have used the taxiway in the last three weeks, with one actually crossing the airport’s runway to arrive at the airport terminal.
“We asked them to disable the map for Fairbanks until they could correct it, thinking it would be better to have nothing show up than to take the chance that one more person would do this,” Melissa Osborn, chief of operations at the airport, told the Alaska Dispatch newspaper.
Specifically, the turn-by-turn instructions used the access route that pilots use to get to the East Ramp. The app tells the driver to go to Taxiway Bravo, which reads “Taxiway B” on the Apps map. It does not instruct the driver to cross the runway, however, once on the road, the airport’s terminal is easily accessible on the other side, which is what led the one driver to cross the runway.
That’s not to say there weren’t any warning signs prior to getting to this stretch of pavement.
“These folks drove past several signs. They even drove past a gate. None of that cued them that they did something inappropriate,” said Osborn.
The first incident occurred on September 6. A complaint was immediately sent to Apple via the attorney general’s office. The problem was promised to be fixed right away, but it wasn’t, and another incident occurred September 20.
“No matter what the signs say, the map on their iPhone told them to proceed this way,” said Angie Spear, marketing director for the airport.
To deter other drivers from taking their vehicles along the dangerous roadway, the airport has since placed barricades in front of the taxiway access.
As of today — Wednesday, September 25 — there has been no update to the app, as it still instructs drivers to use “Taxiway B” to get to the terminal.
Story via: alaskadispatch.com
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