Autonomous vehicle firm Waymo granted clearance for taxi services using robotaxis at San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., is set to expand its operations at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and potentially other Bay Area airports. The company has already been operating autonomous vehicle services at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport for nearly three years and plans to extend its autonomous ride-hailing services around SFO.
The deployment at SFO will occur in three distinct phases, each focusing on safety. In the initial phase, Waymo vehicles will operate with a safety driver but without passengers. The second phase will involve fully driverless operations, restricted to Waymo employees and airport staff. Only in the final phase will paying customers be able to request rides through the company’s app.
Waymo has been given permission to deploy its autonomous ride-hailing service at SFO. Initially, passenger pickups and drop-offs will be limited to the "Kiss and Fly" area near the rental car center at SFO. Riders will need to take the AirTrain to reach their terminals. Weekly check-ins between Waymo and airport officials will determine the pace of the company’s advancement through each phase.
Discussions with Oakland International Airport are ongoing for Waymo, and San Jose Mineta International Airport is a potential future deployment location. Waymo has suggested that other pickup points may be explored in the future.
Meanwhile, Tesla is seeking approval to operate its robotaxi ride-hailing service at Bay Area airports, including SFO, Oakland, and San Jose. However, the robotaxi ride-hailing service is not currently operational at any Bay Area airports, and no specific timelines have been announced for Tesla’s airport deployment. The approval process for Tesla’s service is ongoing.
Waymo’s deployment at SFO is not its first airport operation. The company has been operating at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport for nearly three years. The second phase of its operations at SFO will also involve fully driverless operations, marking a significant step towards autonomous transportation in the aviation sector.
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