Waymo has been granted permission to begin testing self-driving cars at San Francisco International Airport prior to the launch of commercial services.
The San Francisco Mayor’s office announced Tuesday that the airport, known as the SFO, has signed a “test and operational pilot permit” after years of negotiating. The SFO deal comes just two weeks after Waymo is cleared to begin testing at nearby San Joseminateta International Airport. Tesla is also trying to put an elbow to provide ride service at these airports.
SFO is not the first airport Waymo will serve. The company has been operating at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix since 2023. However, SFO has long been a target for WAYMO as it is the largest airport serving Silicon Valley home.
Airport authorities initially rejected Waymo in 2023, but this year Waymo was given permission to begin mapping the airport.
With the newly awarded permission, Waymo can move forward in three phases. The first is Waymo will test the AVS in autonomous mode and test the “trained specialist” behind the wheel. The second involves testing passenger service with employees and airport staff. During the third phase, Waymo can begin offering paid vehicles.
As Waymo enters its third phase, the company says it will offer pickups and drop-offs in the “Kiss & Fly area” of the airport. The company says it intends to “exploring elsewhere at the airport in the future.”
Waymo spokesman Chris Bonelli told TechCrunch that the company would begin testing “quickly” but refused to place a time frame for the rest of the phase. He said the third phase of providing paid rides will continue on a “monthly” basis while Waymo works with SFO on a “sustainable commercial operation permit.”
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Offering rides with SFO is the latest in this year’s WAYMO achievement growth list. The company is expanding to several new cities, with many partners, including Uber, on the horizon in 2026. Waymo has grown its Silicon Valley service area, and serving SFOs seems increasingly inevitable.
This story has been updated with new information from Waymo about timing.
