Uber and other rideshare apps are gaining widespread acceptance
in managed travel programs, but whether they're legal for airport pickups all
depends on the airport.
At the CAPA Americas Aviation Summit 2015, airport
officials illustrated airports' divergent approaches. Greater Orlando Aviation
Authority executive director Phillip Brown spoke of Orlando International
Airport’s pending lawsuit to block Uber pickups at the airport and seek damages
against fees for prior pickups. “To operate on the airport, you have to
have a city permit,” Brown said. “[Uber] doesn’t want to have any regulation or
pay the permits, so we won’t allow them in any regulatory scheme.”
Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis, however,
said Pittsburgh International Airport is negotiating with Uber to determine how
to manage pickups. Cabs aren't always readily available for late-night
arrivals, she said, forcing many arriving passengers to rent cars. “I opened up
the Uber app and saw they’re all here; we just weren’t making any money. The
tech community and entrepreneurial community want them, and for a community
that is billing itself as entrepreneurial, we have to be able to allow them.”
Across the country, some airports are working with Uber while
others seek ways to block ridesharing, especially offerings like UberX that do
not require a commercial license.
A rundown of Uber's status at airports around the country:
Chicago: Chicago
and Uber made peace this year when the city granted a transportation network-provider
license in exchange for Uber's agreement to security measures. At the airports,
though, the only options are UberTaxi, which dispatches licensed cabs, or
UberBlack, which provides professionally licensed chauffeurs.
Dallas: The
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Board is considering a plan to allow permitted
rideshare drivers. Dallas Love Field agreed this month to allow UberX pickups.
Denver: Both UberX and Lyft reached agreements with Denver International
Airport in late 2014, allowing the services to operate at the airport’s main
terminal.
Atlanta: Rideshare drivers have had a shaky
relationship with Atlanta law enforcement, which considers them limo services. From
February 2014 to April 2015, police issued tickets—and often impounded
vehicles—for more than 100 rideshare drivers, according to Atlanta’s WSB-TV. Georgia
Gov. Nathan Deal has signed legislation to regulate insurance coverage and
safety matters for rideshare companies, which could pave the way for
cooperation between the companies and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the nation's busiest.
Los Angeles: Though UberX-style rideshare pickups are technically
illegal at Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has pushed airport officials to
work with rideshare companies. In his State of the City address in April, he said
pickups would be legal by this summer.
New York City Area: The
NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission is considering a requirement that drivers
park outside LaGuardia passenger pickup areas, effectively blocking pickups at
that airport. JFK drivers, meanwhile, can
use the parking lot designated for black cars. Uber offers a flat fare for
UberX, UberXL, UberBlack and UberSUV rides from Newark Liberty International
Airport.
Phoenix: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport allows only rideshare drivers with
commercial insurance and registration and an airport badge that requires a
background check.
San Francisco: Considering San Francisco International Airport lies in Uber’s backyard, it's no surprise that it was the first U.S. airport to reach permit agreements with Uber, including UberX, and its rideshare rivals. The agreement went into place in October.