After years of negotiations, Waymo has been granted access to map the roads of San Francisco International Airport, a move that could eventually transform transportation to and from one of California’s busiest airports.
The permit from the airport requires a human driver to control the mapping vehicle at all times. The robotaxi company’s cars are prohibited from transporting passengers aside from Waymo and SFO staff, according to airport spokesperson Doug Yakel, who confirmed the temporary access to The Standard.
The permit allows for a maximum of two vehicles at a time on airport premises. Access was granted Friday and is valid for 30 days, with an option for SFO to extend the permit for 30 days.
Yakel said the next step for Waymo would be to secure a permit for passenger operations at SFO. As this process does not currently exist for robotaxi services, a new permit will have to be created to allow Waymo to operate.
Yakel said that SFO and Waymo are not working on a specific timeline to bring robotaxis to the airport.
“This mapping permit is an important step toward bringing our service to the millions of people who travel to and from the city every year, many of whom have placed San Francisco International Airport at the top of their service expansion wish list,” Nicole Gavel, Waymo’s head of business development and strategic partnerships, said via email. “We’re pleased to play a part in showing the world that the future starts here in San Francisco.”
Waymo opened its San Francisco service to the general public in June. The start of mapping at SFO coincides with the robotaxi company’s expansion into several Silicon Valley cities and a launch in Austin in partnership with Uber.
Waymo is valued at around $45 billion, according to Bloomberg. Access to SFO will likely be a boon, as airport rides are some of the most lucrative in the taxi and rideshare industry.
In July, The Standard reported that Waymo was seeking approval to pick up and drop off riders at SFO. Last March, the company got the thumbs-up from state regulators to run its 24/7 service in parts of Los Angeles and San Mateo counties, an expanded geography that includes SFO.
Waymo’s ambitions to operate at the airport have caused friction with the local Teamsters union, which in October filed an ethics complaint stating that company employees had failed to register as lobbyists while seeking approval from SFO officials to map the site, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Phoenix Sky Harbor was the first U.S. airport to allow Waymo to map its premises. The company launched airport rides in Phoenix in late 2022.