Vancouver airport awarded by Uber for sustainable ride-hailing strategies | Daily Hive

Vancouver International Airport awarded by Uber for ride-hailing sustainability strategies

Uber pick-up area sign at the international arrivals area of Vancouver International Airport. (Kenneth Chan)

Today, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has been recognized by Uber with the 2024 Airport Sustainability Award, in a nod to growing efforts of Canada’s second largest airport to reduce emissions and encourage greener ground transportation options.

The new award highlights YVR’s partnership with ride-hailing providers like Uber to advance the use of hybrid and zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on airport property.

With demand for ride-hailing services greatly increasing in recent years, Vancouver Airport Authority has implemented new policies and strategies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of that growth.

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“As rideshare services continue to grow in popularity, we are working closely with partners like Uber to implement policies that incentivize greener transportation choices,” states the airport authority.

Even in June 2024, Vancouver Airport Authority shared that the use of ride-hailing services at YVR had soared by 50 per cent over the previous 18-month period. However, the increase in ride-hailing use was not coming at the expense of public transit and taxis, which had been holding its market share. Instead, ride-hailing’s growth came from fewer drop-off, pick-up, and other single-purpose vehicle trips coming to the airport, such as fewer friends and families driving to the airport to perform drop-off and pick-up trips.

YVR’s air passenger volumes reached over 26 million in 2024, coming very close to breaking the all-time record in 2019. As well, ridership on SkyTrain’s Canada Line to the airport is approaching pre-pandemic volumes.

A key feature of the airport’s recognized strategy with ride-hailing has been the introduction of a new fee structure that favours greener rides. Passengers now pay lower per-trip fees for hybrid and battery-electric vehicle hailing trips, making sustainable options either cost-comparable or slightly more affordable than traditional gasoline-powered rides.

YVR’s broader sustainability efforts include investments in electric vehicle infrastructure and collaboration with transportation partners to advance low-carbon mobility. The airport’s commitment is part of its larger Net Zero Emissions Plan, which includes a focus on “decarbonizing” operations across all aspects of its ground transportation and logistics fleet.

Up to 80% discount for YVR rides on Uber Green and Comfort Electric

Uber cited these initiatives as a model for other airports.

“Vancouver International Airport is leading the way in sustainable rideshare initiatives. By offering a significant discount for electric and hybrid rideshare options, the airport has incentivized the shift to sustainable ride options,” states Uber’s rationale for providing YVR with the sustainability award.

According to the ride-hailing giant, passengers who request Uber Green and Comfort Electric products on the Uber app now enjoy savings of up to 80 per cent on YVR per-trip ride-hailing fees.

“As a result, trips completed by zero-emission and hybrid vehicles at YVR have more than doubled since the addition of the discount,” continued Uber.

For its 2024 excellence awards, Uber also provided Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) with the “Quickest Pickup” award, Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) with the “Experience Obsessed” award related to efficiently designed pick-up and drop-off facilities, and Kansas City International Airport (MCI) with the “Smartest Space” award based on the use of dynamic dispatching technology.

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