Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) autonomous vehicle unit, Waymo, has received approval to operate commercially at San Jose Mineta International.
San Jose Mineta becomes the first commercial, international airport in California, and the second in the world, to welcome Waymo to its terminals. Rollout will happen in stages, beginning with fully-autonomous testing with Waymo employees, followed by a commercial launch for the public later this year.
The milestone follows years of attempts to secure airport access in its home state. Earlier this year, it secured a permit to begin manual mapping at the San Francisco International Airport, a precursor to eventually launching a commercial service there.
The company already operates at Phoenix Sky Harbor International, where it launched curbside service in late 2023 and expanded to 24/7 availability in August 2024. Since then, Waymo says it has completed “hundreds of thousands” of airport trips, making Sky Harbor its most popular destination in Phoenix.
Waymo’s fleet now exceeds 2,000 robotaxis nationwide, including about 800 in the Bay Area, 500 in Los Angeles, 400 in Phoenix, 100 in Austin, and smaller numbers in Atlanta. The company this week announced expansion plans to Denver and Seattle, with Dallas, Miami, and Washington, D.C. also on the horizon. It has additionally won approval to test in New York City.