Waymo Approved for Robotaxi Service at San Jose Airport
▼ Summary
– Waymo has been cleared to serve San Jose Mineta International Airport, with testing starting soon and commercial rides planned by year-end.
– The company previously faced rejection at San Francisco’s airport but now has a permit to manually map it for future service.
– Waymo has been operating at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport since late 2023, where it has provided hundreds of thousands of trips.
– Waymo’s fleet includes over 2,000 robotaxis across multiple U.S. cities, with the largest concentrations in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.
– The company plans to expand to Denver, Seattle, Dallas, Miami, Washington, D.C., and is approved for testing in New York City.
Waymo has secured approval to launch its robotaxi service at San Jose Mineta International Airport, marking a significant milestone as the company expands its autonomous ride-hailing operations to major transportation hubs in California. The company confirmed on Thursday that testing will begin in the coming months, with plans to roll out commercial airport trips by year’s end.
This development follows years of effort to integrate autonomous vehicles into airport transportation networks across the state. Waymo had previously engaged with officials at San Francisco International Airport in 2023 but did not receive approval at that time. Earlier this year, however, the company obtained a permit to conduct manual mapping at the airport, a necessary preliminary step before launching full commercial service.
In late 2023, Waymo began offering curbside drop-off and pick-up services at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. By August 2024, the service expanded to operate around the clock. According to the company, hundreds of thousands of trips have already been completed to and from the Phoenix airport, making it the most frequented destination within their service area in the region.
Waymo’s expansion has accelerated significantly in recent months. The company now operates a national fleet of more than 2,000 autonomous vehicles, with approximately 800 deployed in the Bay Area, 500 in Los Angeles, 400 in Phoenix, 100 in Austin, and dozens more in Atlanta.
Earlier this week, Waymo announced plans to extend its services to Denver and Seattle. The company had previously revealed intentions to begin commercial operations in Dallas, Miami, and Washington, D.C. In another recent regulatory win, Waymo received authorization to start testing its autonomous vehicles on the streets of New York City.
(Source: TechCrunch)
