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> and the rideshare apps direct passengers to a designated stall.

That's part of their voluntary cooperation. They could also direct passengers to go stand at the curb like everyone else.

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As others have commented, it would be relatively simple for airports to deploy ANPR[0] to detect cars picking up passengers at the curb more frequently than an average person would be expected to, at which point they have the usual trespassing remedies at their disposal.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_number-plate_recogni...

Aren't they public roads at the airport?

They're owned by the airport and there are restrictions on their use.

That would be illegal.

This isn’t voluntary, it’s regulation.

Like taxi medallions?

Yes like that.

Also notable, the airlines pay for the gates and the landing slots and so on.

It’s a transportation hub. The various forms of transportation that use it pay a fee.

and every single passenger also pays an extra fee unrelated to the actual act of travel, the airport improvement fee, aka a tax that's not a tax.

If it’s a fee that’s only charged to passengers who are traveling then it’s related to the act of travel.

My point is: you are right but Uber has been known to skirt the law.

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