Waymo gets green light for airport service in San Francisco

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, has received approval to test its robotaxi service at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This marks a significant milestone for Waymo as it seeks to expand its service area and tap into the lucrative airport transportation market. The agreement with SFO will be rolled out in three phases, starting with testing vehicles with a human driver, followed by testing without a driver, and eventually commercial service. Waymo will begin the tests with its employees before opening it up to the public. Pickups and dropoffs will initially take place at SFO's Kiss & Fly lot, which is accessible to the terminals via the AirTrain. Waymo's access to the airport represents a crucial step in its efforts to compete with ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, as airport trips account for an estimated 20% of their business. The approval comes after years of negotiations between Waymo and SFO, as the company works to ensure its vehicles can handle the chaotic environment of an airport, with thousands of cars, taxis, shuttles, and passengers constantly moving.