The recent decision to permit ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has quickly become popular with travelers.
Atlanta city officials approved ride-sharing operations at the airport earlier this year, and since then Uber and Lyft have been handling roughly twice the number of airport pickups as traditional taxicabs, according to coverage in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
That report found that Uber and Lyft together accounted for 250,283 passenger pickups at the airport in January and February 2017, while taxis recorded 114,864 pickups during the same period.
Data in the report also indicated that international visitors were somewhat more likely to choose taxis than domestic travelers, suggesting different preferences among passenger groups.
Unsurprisingly, the expansion of ride-sharing has been challenging for conventional ground-transportation providers. Several taxi operators described a sharp decline in business after the change, with one owner calling the impact “devastating.” The availability of ride-share options also influenced shuttle services: SuperShuttle announced it would cease operations in Atlanta in February, citing the altered transportation landscape.
As ride-sharing becomes more integrated at major airports, airports, transportation companies and regulators will likely continue to adapt rules and pickup procedures to balance convenience for passengers with fair competition and safety for all ground-transportation providers.