Sidecar gets green light to operate at San Francisco airport, beats Lyft and Uber to it

Sidecar, the ride-sharing company most of us stopped talking about due to the Lyft-Uber wars distraction, has pulled off a big feat: It’s getting a license from the San Francisco International Airport to operate there.

Sidecar is the first Transportation Network Company (TNC) to receive this permit from the state of California. The company will begin operating at the airport within the next 30 days, Sidecar says.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has also chimed in:

“San Francisco is at the forefront of the sharing economy and companies like Sidecar are creating real jobs for San Franciscans and making [it] easier to get around our City,” said Mayor Lee. “The sharing economy was born here, and I am committed to ensuring that San Francisco supports this innovation sector’s growth and success. Congratulations to Sidecar and SFO for reaching this historic agreement, the first in California, and one of the first in the United States.”

“This permit reflects our commitment to new business models at SFO and ensures safe, consistent service for our customers,” said Airport Director John L. Martin. “I applaud Sidecar for taking the lead in their industry with the first authorized service at SFO. Their proactive approach sets an example for other transportation network companies to follow.”

Sidecar’s Shared Rides features, its carpooling option, is still illegal at the airport, however. The California Public Utilities Commission has not yet budged on its stance on Shared Rides in general (currently deemed illegal), so the company won’t be making them available at the airport at the moment.