Oakland International Airport
Encyclopedia
Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport
located 4 NM south of the central business district
of Oakland
, a city in Alameda County
, California
, United States
. It is owned by the Port of Oakland
.
One of three international airports in the San Francisco Bay Area
, airlines serving Oakland International provide service to numerous destinations in the United States, as well as Mexico
. Oakland is a focus city
--with the airport as a crew base and the 10th busiest—for Southwest Airlines
. (SWA) currently has as many as 104 daily flights on peak-travel days of the week. Alaska Airlines
(combined with sister-carrier Horizon Air
) is a distant-yet-growing 2nd busiest with as many as 11 flights.
Delta Air Lines
has up to 10 flights daily, JetBlue Airways
offers 6 non-stop flights and US Airways
offers 5 non-stop flights, each way, to their respective focus cities and hubs.
The top five airlines in terms of market share for 2011 are Southwest Airlines
(75.35%), Jetblue Airways
(6.45%), Alaska Airlines
(4.94%), US Airways
(2.84%) and Hawaiian Airlines
(2.41%).
OAK has proven a popular alternative to San Francisco International
. In 2008, 11.5 million passengers used the airport. Another convenience of OAK over SFO—in relation to the success of Southwest—is OAK's history of a high, on-time arrival percentage (of total flights inbound), despite many days of rainy and foggy weather for some months in each city. For 2009, OAK had the highest on-time arrival percentage among the 40 busiest North American airports.
Oakland International is popular with low cost airlines
. Until the economic downturn became worse in 2008, along with fuel prices beginning to soar, OAK was one of the nation's fastest growing airports for much of the decade. A $300 million expansion and renovation project was completed in spring 2008. The project included the addition of five gates
to Terminal 2; enhanced food, beverage and retail concessions; a new baggage claim
area; expanded areas for ticketing and security screening; and significant improvements to the roadways, curbsides and parking lots.
Terminal 1 is currently undergoing a $200 million upgrade. This building will be renovated and seismically retrofitted over the next few years. Future improvements include larger restrooms; replacing concourse carpeting with terrazzo
floors; new airline ticketing and check-in
areas; food, beverage and retail concession improvements; and improved universal access and overall comfort and convenience enhancements.
In addition to airline operations, Oakland International is a large general aviation
airport. Airline operations use the South Field (runway 11/29), while general aviation uses the North Field (runways 9R/27L, 9L/27R, and 15/33). In 2008, OAK had 269,631 aircraft movements (take-offs or landings), and was the 35th busiest among the major North American airports.
September 17. In its early days, because of its long runway enabling safe takeoff rolls for fuel-heavy aircraft, Oakland was the departing point of several historic flights, including Charles Kingsford Smith
's historic US-Australia
flight in 1928, and Amelia Earhart
's final flight in 1937. Earhart departed from this airport when she made her final ill-fated voyage, intending to return there after circumnavigating the globe.
Boeing Air Transport (a predecessor of United Airlines
) began scheduled flights to Oakland in December 1927. It was joined by Trans World Airlines
(TWA) in 1932.
In 1943, the U.S. Armed Forces
took over Oakland Airport and transformed it into an airlift base for military flights to the Pacific islands, ordering all scheduled service to move to San Francisco International Airport. After the war, airlines slowly returned to Oakland: Western Airlines
began flights in 1946, and was followed by American Airlines
, TWA, United and Pacific Southwest Airlines
(PSA).
The airport's first Jet Age
airline terminal
(now Terminal 1) was opened in 1962, part of a $20 million expansion on bay fill that included 10000-ft runway 11/29. In May 1963 the OAG showed 15 airline flights arriving Oakland each day, including nine from San Francisco; in June 1963 TWA flew Oakland's first scheduled jet, a Convair 880 to Chicago.
During the Vietnam War
, World Airways
shuttled thousands of military passengers through Oakland to their bases in Southeast Asia
, and an International Arrivals facility was built, allowing the airport to handle scheduled flights outside the United States for the first time.
After the war, Oakland's traffic slumped, but airline deregulation
prompted several low-fare carriers to begin regional flights into the airport. This rapid increase prompted the airport to build a $16.3 million second terminal, Lionel J. Wilson Terminal 2, with seven new gates for PSA
and AirCal
service.
FedEx Express opened a cargo base in Oakland in 1988, which is now one of the busiest air freight terminals in the United States. In the 1990s, Southwest Airlines opened a crew base in Oakland, and expanded its flights to become the airport's dominant passenger carrier. The airport does have international arrival facilities, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection
officials. Mexicana Airlines provided service between Oakland and cities in Mexico for many years. In the past, Corsairfly
served Orly Airport in Paris
France
and Papeete
, Tahiti
and Martinair
served Schiphol Airport
in Amsterdam
, Netherlands
.
United Airlines vacated its 300000 square foot Oakland Maintenance Center in May 2003 and transferred work to its remaining maintenance hub at San Francisco International Airport.
Oakland International Airport began renovations to its terminals in 2004, including adding five gates in Terminal 2. The new concourse partially opened in fall 2006, with full opening by spring 2007, and a new baggage claim in Terminal 2 opened in summer 2006. The former Terminal 2 baggage claim has been replaced by a renovated and expanded security screening area. As part of this program, airport roadways, curbsides and parking lots were renovated by the end of 2008.
In 2008, Oakland suffered a series of service cutbacks due to high fuel costs, particularly more so compared to other Bay Area airports. In just a few days, Oakland's numerous non-stops to Hawaii were entirely eliminated following the liquidation of ATA Airlines
(ATA) and Aloha Airlines
, although Hawaiian Airlines
introduced one daily flight to Honolulu a month later. Skybus Airlines
stopped flying to Columbus, OH when it ended operations on April 5. American Airlines and Continental Airlines
both ended service to Oakland on September 3. Southwest Airlines
eliminated six flights in November, United Airlines ended service to Los Angeles on November 2, and TACA
ended service to San Salvador
on September 1. All of these service reductions have resulted in the cancellation of a project to build a third terminal. In August 2010, Mexicana Airlines suspended all its flights out of the airport and its other destinations indefinitely until further notice due to financial problems.
A groundbreaking ceremony for a new control tower took place October 15, 2010. A grant awarded to the Federal Aviation Administration
from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(ARRA) helped fund the project. The new, environmentally "green" tower is expected to begin operations during 2013, replacing the current north and south field towers.
s for EVs in the Premier Parking Lot.
Oakland International is the first Northern California airport to offer EV charging services as part of the ChargePoint Network, providing drivers EV services including real-time charging station status and reservations.
In 2008, OAK completed its $300 million Terminal Improvement Program, with projects that added a new concourse with five additional boarding gates and waiting areas expanded ticketing, security and baggage claim facilities added new utilities and improved terminal access and eased congestion in front of the terminals through a new roadway and curbside system. These projects are one part of the on-going Airport Development Program (ADP).
Even at the completion of these projects, there is already demand driving the need for additional infrastructure improvements. The main planning tool to provide guidance on near-term and long-term Airport land-use is a Master Plan. OAK&rsquos 20-year Master Plan was completed in 2006, with input from the OAK Aviation Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
started service between OAK and the airline's two main locations: Guadalajara
, and Toluca
began July 16, 2009. As the second U.S. airport to begin Volaris service, after Los Angeles International Airport
did earlier that month, the airline is slowly expanding to others.
Plans to finalize a codeshare agreement with Southwest Airlines were on hold for much of 2010: Volaris and other Mexican Airlines were waiting for the country to be in full compliance with international air carrier safety standards. The International Civil Aviation Organization
set the standards, with progress monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration.
On December 1, it was announced that Mexico had complied with the standards. As the FAA raised Mexico's safety rating, reinstated flights and expanded Volaris service is once again possible with U.S. airports. Although Toluca service has not resumed since its April 2010 ending, OAK began service with (nearby) Mexico City
in May 2011. OAK is the first airport in the world with international, nonstop Volaris service to and from the country's capital. The codeshare partnership, currently termed as a "commercial agreement" with Southwest, makes Volaris a key addition to OAK.
inaugurated service at OAK in February 2009, with Bellingham, Washington
(with close proximity to Vancouver, British Columbia) twice a week. Service is however, doubled from two to four arrivals and departures each through the summer months, along with added flights during the shorter, winter-holiday period. Later in the year, the airline also added service between OAK and Eugene Airport
in Oregon twice a week. In November 2011, Allegiant announced new services between Mesa, Arizona
and OAK beginning January 18, 2012.
' service to Honolulu, the airport resumed nonstop service with two other Hawaiian Island destinations in early November: Kona
and Kahului (Maui
), via Alaska Airlines. The former is 3 flights a week, while the latter is daily. A fourth restored destination, Lihue (Kauai
), began in the spring of 2011, with four flights a week. Service to these locations happened at least once weekly on ATA, until the airline ceased operations in early 2008. The service-overlap for the two airlines started in June, 2010: Hawaiian with Kahului (seasonal) at that time, and Alaska with Honolulu beginning April, 2012 (daily)..
-based California Pacific Airlines
announced in May 2010, that OAK has been included as one of its (proposed) original destinations. Nonstop service with Carlsbad is expected to begin in early 2012. Connections from this northern San Diego County base will include Cabo San Lucas
in Baja California
, and other resort-locations in Mexico to be announced at a later date.
, with the purchase completed 8 months later, nonstop service possibilities between OAK and some eastern destinations have been discussed: Atlanta (seasonal with Delta Airlines in 2010); Baltimore/Washington (discontinued by Southwest in 2007); Boston Logan (now only seasonal by JetBlue between May and September). These three airports are a hub, secondary hub, and focus city respectively, for AirTran; the airline currently does not have operations at OAK.
returned to OAK after several years of absence, with flights to and from Las Vegas starting August 2011. During the previous decade, Spirit had service from OAK to Detroit.
ceased its west coast operations in 2009, but had been in recent talks with airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland regarding a return to California.
OAK has the possibility of establishing nonstop service from Dublin to the west coast of the United States. However, such service would not start until March 2012 at the earliest. The Dublin Airport Authority was also said to have been briefed about the situation, the Irish Times reported.
’s twice-weekly service will produce significant stimulus to the regional economy resulting from over 500 inbound international passengers each week," said Port Commission President Pamela Calloway. ArkeFly has made the decision to choose Oakland International Airport as its San Francisco Bay Area gateway.
There are two terminals at Oakland International Airport:
Terminal 1
Terminal 2
North Field
honored its new partners: the Oakland Raiders
of the National Football League
. The airline's affiliate, AirAsia X
had one of their planes of executives and crew members "touch down" at OAK in acknowledgment of the to-be announced sponsorship. AirAsia executives have new optimism that service between the U.S. and the airline's main base in Kuala Lumpur
, could possibly happen earlier than originally expected.
s:
A number of general aviation FBOs
are located on the North Field:
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2008, the airport had 269,631 aircraft operations, an average of 740 per day: 46% general aviation (188,064), 42% scheduled commercial, 12% air taxi
and <1% military. There are 277 aircraft based at this airport: 51% single-engine, 34% multi-engine, 10% jet and 4% helicopter
.
(BART) system, but AirBART
shuttle buses and AC Transit
's Lines 73 and 805 buses take passengers between the terminal and the Coliseum/Oakland Airport
station. AC Transit line 21's route from the Airport to Oakland's Dimond district, has a few in-between stops within the nearby island city of Alameda. The Fruitvale BART station is included as a stop for this line. Since the airport's renovation, AirBART now has a single stop located halfway between terminals 1 and 2 on the third curb. The bus has a layover of 5–10 minutes depending on the passenger load. AC Transit stops at the fourth curb between the terminals. Unless early, it departs immediately upon the completion of passenger boarding, to fit a set schedule. AirBART generally comes more often than AC Transit buses after 9:30 PM daily. AirBART and Line 73 run during regular hours from about 5am to midnight, whereas Line 805 is a night bus that runs from midnight to 5 am.
(Nimitz Freeway) which is 2 miles (3 km) away. The airport can be reached by exiting Hegenberger Road or 98th Avenue heading west; both streets converge into Airport Road before looping around in front of the terminals.
When built, the Oakland Airport Connector will replace AirBART buses. The connector’s automated people movers (APMs) will be electrically powered and operate on a fixed, elevated guideway. The APMs will arrive at the Coliseum BART station every four-and-one-half minutes and are designed to transport travelers to the airport in about eight minutes with an on-time performance of more than 99 percent.
In early 2010, the project lost $70 million of federal stimulus funding because the Metropolitan Transportation Commission had "equity concerns" related to the planned high fares on the connector.
Federal and state funding for the OAC became complete in September 2010, and the groundbreaking was held October 20. Design, utility relocation and construction combined, for the $484 million project is expected to take three-and-one-half years to complete.
Flight 1777, carrying 200 U.S. Marines
home from duty in Iraq
, to park 400 yard away from the airport terminal and refused to allow the troops to enter the terminal, although they were allowed off the aircraft to stretch their legs and use restrooms. The airliner had stopped in Oakland to refuel and reprovision. Oakland authorities stated that their decision was based on the fact that, "The airport received information that the passengers were not screened by the Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) at their originating airport and that weapons were on-board the aircraft." The airplane's passengers, however, had been screened by TSA at John F. Kennedy International Airport
and no further screening was necessary. Oakland Airport officials apologized for the mistake - "There was no disrespect that was intended," said Omar Benjamin, executive director of the Port of Oakland, which runs the airport. "There was confusion. There were mistakes that were made." However, U.S. Representative John Mica
stated that, "We believe this is not an isolated incident" and asked the United States Department of Transportation
(DoT) to investigate.
The DoT released the report of its investigation on January 30, 2008. The investigation concluded that the airport did not break any laws or regulations in the incident. The investigation found that the contract under which military chartered transport aircraft are serviced at the airport does not require access to the terminal facilities for military passengers. The report stated that airport management was concerned that they could not provide "an adequate level of escort and control of such a large group of military personnel in or around the terminal area". The airport personnel were also concerned over the proper safeguarding and securing of the weapons carried on the military transport. The report further stated that a contributing factor was a lack of communication and coordination between the Department of Defense
and the Department of Homeland Security
, especially with regard to security screenings of military personnel on the chartered flights. The report recommended that a task force be established with representatives from Homeland, Defense, and Transportation departments and airlines and airports to develop a uniform process for handling military personnel on all military chartered flights at U.S. airports. Commenting on the report, Mica stated, "The shocking thing is that there is no protocol for handling our returning troops, and at Oakland they got a very rude welcome. We just need to get some regular order of the process so we don't have a recurrence of what we saw happen here."
(LEED) Silver Certification.
.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located 4 NM south of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, a city in Alameda County
Alameda County, California
Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is owned by the Port of Oakland
Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland was the first major port on the Pacific Coast of the United States to build terminals for container ships. It is now the fifth busiest container port in the United States, behind Long Beach, Los Angeles, Newark, and Savannah...
.
One of three international airports in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, airlines serving Oakland International provide service to numerous destinations in the United States, as well as Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Oakland is a focus city
Focus city
In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs...
--with the airport as a crew base and the 10th busiest—for Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
. (SWA) currently has as many as 104 daily flights on peak-travel days of the week. Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944...
(combined with sister-carrier Horizon Air
Horizon Air
Horizon Air Industries, Inc. is a regional low-cost airline based in SeaTac, Washington, United States. It is the eighth largest regional airline in the USA, serving 52 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico....
) is a distant-yet-growing 2nd busiest with as many as 11 flights.
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
has up to 10 flights daily, JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....
offers 6 non-stop flights and US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
offers 5 non-stop flights, each way, to their respective focus cities and hubs.
The top five airlines in terms of market share for 2011 are Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
(75.35%), Jetblue Airways
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....
(6.45%), Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944...
(4.94%), US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
(2.84%) and Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...
(2.41%).
OAK has proven a popular alternative to San Francisco International
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
. In 2008, 11.5 million passengers used the airport. Another convenience of OAK over SFO—in relation to the success of Southwest—is OAK's history of a high, on-time arrival percentage (of total flights inbound), despite many days of rainy and foggy weather for some months in each city. For 2009, OAK had the highest on-time arrival percentage among the 40 busiest North American airports.
Oakland International is popular with low cost airlines
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
. Until the economic downturn became worse in 2008, along with fuel prices beginning to soar, OAK was one of the nation's fastest growing airports for much of the decade. A $300 million expansion and renovation project was completed in spring 2008. The project included the addition of five gates
Gate (airport)
A gate in aviation is a long, movable, "bridge" that allows passengers to embark and disembark their aircraft.* Jetway bridges* Air stairs, either built into the aircraft or from a mobile vehicle* Mobile lounges...
to Terminal 2; enhanced food, beverage and retail concessions; a new baggage claim
Baggage claim
In airport terminals, a baggage claim area is an area where arriving passengers claim checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight. The alternative term baggage reclaim is used to mean the same thing at many airports outside the USA In airport terminals, a baggage claim area is an...
area; expanded areas for ticketing and security screening; and significant improvements to the roadways, curbsides and parking lots.
Terminal 1 is currently undergoing a $200 million upgrade. This building will be renovated and seismically retrofitted over the next few years. Future improvements include larger restrooms; replacing concourse carpeting with terrazzo
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...
floors; new airline ticketing and check-in
Airport check-in
Airport check-in uses service counters found at commercial airports handling commercial air travel. The check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline...
areas; food, beverage and retail concession improvements; and improved universal access and overall comfort and convenience enhancements.
In addition to airline operations, Oakland International is a large general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airport. Airline operations use the South Field (runway 11/29), while general aviation uses the North Field (runways 9R/27L, 9L/27R, and 15/33). In 2008, OAK had 269,631 aircraft movements (take-offs or landings), and was the 35th busiest among the major North American airports.
History
The city of Oakland looked into the construction of an airport starting in 1925. In 1927, the announcement of the Dole prize for a flight from California to Hawaii combined with the fanfare of the Spirit of St.Louis flight provided the incentive to purchase 680 acres in April 1927 for the airport. The 7,020 foot long runway was the longest in the world at the time, and built in just 21 days to meet the Dole race start.The airport was dedicated by Charles LindberghCharles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
September 17. In its early days, because of its long runway enabling safe takeoff rolls for fuel-heavy aircraft, Oakland was the departing point of several historic flights, including Charles Kingsford Smith
Charles Kingsford Smith
Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC, AFC , often called by his nickname Smithy, was an early Australian aviator. In 1928, he earned global fame when he made the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia...
's historic US-Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
flight in 1928, and Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
's final flight in 1937. Earhart departed from this airport when she made her final ill-fated voyage, intending to return there after circumnavigating the globe.
Boeing Air Transport (a predecessor of United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
) began scheduled flights to Oakland in December 1927. It was joined by Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
(TWA) in 1932.
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
took over Oakland Airport and transformed it into an airlift base for military flights to the Pacific islands, ordering all scheduled service to move to San Francisco International Airport. After the war, airlines slowly returned to Oakland: Western Airlines
Western Airlines
Western Airlines was a large airline based in California, with operations throughout the Western United States, and hubs at Los Angeles International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, and the former Stapleton International Airport in Denver...
began flights in 1946, and was followed by American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, TWA, United and Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
(PSA).
The airport's first Jet Age
Jet age
The Jet Age is a period of history defined by the social change brought about by the advent of large aircraft powered by turbine engines. These aircraft are able to fly much higher, faster, and farther than older piston-powered propliners, making transcontinental and inter-continental travel...
airline terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
(now Terminal 1) was opened in 1962, part of a $20 million expansion on bay fill that included 10000-ft runway 11/29. In May 1963 the OAG showed 15 airline flights arriving Oakland each day, including nine from San Francisco; in June 1963 TWA flew Oakland's first scheduled jet, a Convair 880 to Chicago.
During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, World Airways
World Airways
World Airways, Inc. is an American airline headquartered at the HLH Building in Peachtree City, Georgia. For the most part, the company operates non-scheduled services. Its main aircraft and maintenance base is Tampa International Airport.-History:...
shuttled thousands of military passengers through Oakland to their bases in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, and an International Arrivals facility was built, allowing the airport to handle scheduled flights outside the United States for the first time.
After the war, Oakland's traffic slumped, but airline deregulation
Airline Deregulation Act
The Airline Deregulation Act is a United States federal law signed into law on October 24, 1978. The main purpose of the act was to remove government control over fares, routes and market entry from commercial aviation...
prompted several low-fare carriers to begin regional flights into the airport. This rapid increase prompted the airport to build a $16.3 million second terminal, Lionel J. Wilson Terminal 2, with seven new gates for PSA
Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
and AirCal
Air California
Air California, later AirCal, was a regional airline using mainline equipment and serving different points in the state of California and some neighboring western U.S. states. It was founded by a partnership of Orange County businessmen as an alternative to other airlines and what was left of the...
service.
FedEx Express opened a cargo base in Oakland in 1988, which is now one of the busiest air freight terminals in the United States. In the 1990s, Southwest Airlines opened a crew base in Oakland, and expanded its flights to become the airport's dominant passenger carrier. The airport does have international arrival facilities, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the...
officials. Mexicana Airlines provided service between Oakland and cities in Mexico for many years. In the past, Corsairfly
Corsairfly
Corsair S.A. trading as Corsairfly, is an airline based in Rungis, France. It is currently the second largest French airline after Air France and operates international scheduled and charter services to 62 European destinations, the French overseas territories, Africa and North America...
served Orly Airport in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
, Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
and Martinair
Martinair
For the American cargo airline, see Martinaire.Martinair Holland N.V., operating as Martinair, is an airline headquartered in the TransPort Building on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands. It operates cargo services to over 50 destinations worldwide. Services...
served Schiphol Airport
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol ) is the Netherlands' main international airport, located 20 minutes southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The airport's official English name, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, reflects the original Dutch word order...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
United Airlines vacated its 300000 square foot Oakland Maintenance Center in May 2003 and transferred work to its remaining maintenance hub at San Francisco International Airport.
Oakland International Airport began renovations to its terminals in 2004, including adding five gates in Terminal 2. The new concourse partially opened in fall 2006, with full opening by spring 2007, and a new baggage claim in Terminal 2 opened in summer 2006. The former Terminal 2 baggage claim has been replaced by a renovated and expanded security screening area. As part of this program, airport roadways, curbsides and parking lots were renovated by the end of 2008.
In 2008, Oakland suffered a series of service cutbacks due to high fuel costs, particularly more so compared to other Bay Area airports. In just a few days, Oakland's numerous non-stops to Hawaii were entirely eliminated following the liquidation of ATA Airlines
ATA Airlines
ATA Airlines, Inc., formerly known as American Trans Air, was an American low-cost scheduled service and charter airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana. ATA operated scheduled passenger flights throughout the US mainland and Hawaii, as well as military and commercial charter flights around the world...
(ATA) and Aloha Airlines
Aloha Airlines
Aloha Airlines was an American airline headquartered in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, operating from a hub at Honolulu International Airport...
, although Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...
introduced one daily flight to Honolulu a month later. Skybus Airlines
Skybus Airlines
Skybus Airlines Inc. was a privately held airline based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It operated as an ultra-low-cost carrier modeled after the European airline Ryanair, and aimed to be the least expensive airline in the United States...
stopped flying to Columbus, OH when it ended operations on April 5. American Airlines and Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
both ended service to Oakland on September 3. Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
eliminated six flights in November, United Airlines ended service to Los Angeles on November 2, and TACA
Grupo TACA
TACA is the trade name "brand" comprising a group of five independently IATA-coded and -owned Central American airlines, whose operations are combined to function as one and a number of other independently owned and IATA-coded regional airlines which code-share and feed the TACA brand system...
ended service to San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
on September 1. All of these service reductions have resulted in the cancellation of a project to build a third terminal. In August 2010, Mexicana Airlines suspended all its flights out of the airport and its other destinations indefinitely until further notice due to financial problems.
New air traffic control tower
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
(ARRA) helped fund the project. The new, environmentally "green" tower is expected to begin operations during 2013, replacing the current north and south field towers.
Electric vehicle charging services
The Port of Oakland and Coulomb Technologies has announced that electric vehicle (EV) driver services have arrived at Oakland International Airport (OAK) with the installation of eight ChargePoint® Network charging stationCharging station
An electric vehicle charging station, also called EV charging station, electric recharging point, charging point and EVSE , is an element in an infrastructure that supplies electric energy for the recharging of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric-gasoline vehicles) or semi-static and mobile...
s for EVs in the Premier Parking Lot.
Oakland International is the first Northern California airport to offer EV charging services as part of the ChargePoint Network, providing drivers EV services including real-time charging station status and reservations.
Noise management
For more than 30 years, OAK has worked with its stakeholders to develop programs that minimize the effect of aircraft noise, to the extent possible, on surrounding communities, while maintaining a safe and efficient air transportation center. Through regularly scheduled stakeholder meetings, a sophisticated noise-monitoring system, proactive communications with neighboring communities and pilot education, OAK has successfully lessened the impact of airport operations on neighboring communities, in order to improve their quality of life.Master Plan
For nearly a century, Oakland International Airport (OAK) has served the shipping and travel needs of the San Francisco Bay Area. The original airfield was built in 1927 and is still used today by air cargo and corporate and general aviation operators. In 1962, a new, 16-gate terminal (Terminal 1), 10,000-foot runway and 10-story air traffic control tower was built to usher in the jet-age of commercial aviation. A second, eight-gate terminal (Terminal 2) was opened in 1985 and is used exclusively by Southwest Airlines.In 2008, OAK completed its $300 million Terminal Improvement Program, with projects that added a new concourse with five additional boarding gates and waiting areas expanded ticketing, security and baggage claim facilities added new utilities and improved terminal access and eased congestion in front of the terminals through a new roadway and curbside system. These projects are one part of the on-going Airport Development Program (ADP).
Even at the completion of these projects, there is already demand driving the need for additional infrastructure improvements. The main planning tool to provide guidance on near-term and long-term Airport land-use is a Master Plan. OAK&rsquos 20-year Master Plan was completed in 2006, with input from the OAK Aviation Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
Volaris
Despite the setbacks associated with select airlines having pulled out, OAK is in position for a major boost. The low-cost Mexican airline VolarisVolaris
Concesionaria Vuela Compañía de Aviación, S.A. de C.V., operating as Volaris, is a low-cost airline from Mexico, and the country's second largest airline after Aeroméxico, thus being a leading competitor in the Mexican domestic market, with a market share of around 13-14% of domestic...
started service between OAK and the airline's two main locations: Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, and Toluca
Toluca
Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...
began July 16, 2009. As the second U.S. airport to begin Volaris service, after Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
did earlier that month, the airline is slowly expanding to others.
Plans to finalize a codeshare agreement with Southwest Airlines were on hold for much of 2010: Volaris and other Mexican Airlines were waiting for the country to be in full compliance with international air carrier safety standards. The International Civil Aviation Organization
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
set the standards, with progress monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration.
On December 1, it was announced that Mexico had complied with the standards. As the FAA raised Mexico's safety rating, reinstated flights and expanded Volaris service is once again possible with U.S. airports. Although Toluca service has not resumed since its April 2010 ending, OAK began service with (nearby) Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in May 2011. OAK is the first airport in the world with international, nonstop Volaris service to and from the country's capital. The codeshare partnership, currently termed as a "commercial agreement" with Southwest, makes Volaris a key addition to OAK.
Allegiant
After having pulled out of San Francisco International months earlier, discount carrier Allegiant AirAllegiant Air
Allegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...
inaugurated service at OAK in February 2009, with Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
(with close proximity to Vancouver, British Columbia) twice a week. Service is however, doubled from two to four arrivals and departures each through the summer months, along with added flights during the shorter, winter-holiday period. Later in the year, the airline also added service between OAK and Eugene Airport
Eugene Airport
Eugene Airport , also known as Mahlon Sweet Field, is a public airport located 7 miles northwest of Eugene, in Lane County, Oregon. Owned and operated by the City of Eugene, it is the fifth-largest airport in the Pacific Northwest, providing commercial air service to a six-county region in...
in Oregon twice a week. In November 2011, Allegiant announced new services between Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
and OAK beginning January 18, 2012.
Alaska and Hawaiian
Adding to Hawaiian AirlinesHawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...
' service to Honolulu, the airport resumed nonstop service with two other Hawaiian Island destinations in early November: Kona
Kona International Airport
Kona International Airport at Keāhole is an airport on the Island of Hawaii, in Kalaoa CDP, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. The airport serves leeward, or Western Hawaii island, including the town of Kailua-Kona and the major resorts of the North Kona and South Kohala districts.- History...
and Kahului (Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
), via Alaska Airlines. The former is 3 flights a week, while the latter is daily. A fourth restored destination, Lihue (Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
), began in the spring of 2011, with four flights a week. Service to these locations happened at least once weekly on ATA, until the airline ceased operations in early 2008. The service-overlap for the two airlines started in June, 2010: Hawaiian with Kahului (seasonal) at that time, and Alaska with Honolulu beginning April, 2012 (daily)..
California Pacific Airlines
Carlsbad, CaliforniaCarlsbad, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
-based California Pacific Airlines
California Pacific Airlines
California Pacific Airlines is a planned airline that is headquartered on the grounds of McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California.-History:In 2009, 89-year old Ted Vallas proposed starting a new airline out of Palomar Airport...
announced in May 2010, that OAK has been included as one of its (proposed) original destinations. Nonstop service with Carlsbad is expected to begin in early 2012. Connections from this northern San Diego County base will include Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas , commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the municipality of Los Cabos in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,463 people...
in Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, and other resort-locations in Mexico to be announced at a later date.
Southwest/AirTran Merge
Following the September 2010 announcement of Southwest Airlines' acquisition of AirTran AirwaysAirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
, with the purchase completed 8 months later, nonstop service possibilities between OAK and some eastern destinations have been discussed: Atlanta (seasonal with Delta Airlines in 2010); Baltimore/Washington (discontinued by Southwest in 2007); Boston Logan (now only seasonal by JetBlue between May and September). These three airports are a hub, secondary hub, and focus city respectively, for AirTran; the airline currently does not have operations at OAK.
Spirit Airlines
Spirit AirlinesSpirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains a base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...
returned to OAK after several years of absence, with flights to and from Las Vegas starting August 2011. During the previous decade, Spirit had service from OAK to Detroit.
Aer Lingus
Aer LingusAer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
ceased its west coast operations in 2009, but had been in recent talks with airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland regarding a return to California.
OAK has the possibility of establishing nonstop service from Dublin to the west coast of the United States. However, such service would not start until March 2012 at the earliest. The Dublin Airport Authority was also said to have been briefed about the situation, the Irish Times reported.
Arkefly
Beginning in Summer 2012, ArkeflyArkefly
ArkeFly is a Dutch charter airline headquartered in Schiphol-Rijk on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands. It is the charter carrier of the Dutch arm of the German travel conglomerate TUI and its main base is Schiphol Airport...
’s twice-weekly service will produce significant stimulus to the regional economy resulting from over 500 inbound international passengers each week," said Port Commission President Pamela Calloway. ArkeFly has made the decision to choose Oakland International Airport as its San Francisco Bay Area gateway.
Terminals, airlines and destinations
Terminal 1
- Terminal 1 has 17 gates (1, 3, 4-7, 8-8A, 9-9A, 10-12, 14-14A, 15, 17).
- All international arrivals are handled in Terminal 1.
Terminal 2
- Terminal 2 has 13 gates (20 - 32).
North Field
- North Field serves general aviation and charter flights.
Top destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Burbank, CABob Hope Airport Bob Hope Airport is a public airport located 3 miles northwest of the central business district of Burbank, a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States... |
393,000 | Southwest |
| 2 |  Seattle, WASeattle-Tacoma International Airport The Seattle–Tacoma International Airport , also known as Sea–Tac Airport or Sea–Tac , is an American airport located in SeaTac, Washington, at the intersections of State Routes 99 and 509 and 518, about west of Interstate 5... |
388,000 | Alaska, Horizon, Southwest |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually... |
372,000 | Delta, Southwest |
| 4 | San Diego, CA San Diego International Airport San Diego International Airport , sometimes referred to as Lindbergh Field, is a public airport located northwest of the central business district of San Diego, California and from the Mexico – United States border at Tijuana, Mexico... |
358,000 | Southwest |
| 5 |  Phoenix, AZPhoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States... |
342,000 | Southwest, US Airways |
| 6 |  Las Vegas, NVMcCarran International Airport McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and... |
293,000 | Southwest, Spirit |
| 7 | Ontario, CA Ontario International Airport LA/Ontario International Airport , formerly Ontario International Airport, is a public airport located east of the central business district of Ontario, a city in San Bernardino County, California, USA. This airport is owned and operated by the Los Angeles World Airports , an agency of the city... |
248,000 | Southwest |
| 8 | Orange County, CA John Wayne Airport John Wayne Airport is an airport in an unincorporated area in Orange County, California, with its mailing address in the city of Santa Ana, which is also the county seat, hence the International Air Transport Association airport code. The main entrance to the airport is off of MacArthur Blvd in... |
245,000 | Southwest |
| 9 |  Salt Lake City, UTSalt Lake City International Airport Salt Lake City International Airport is a major public airport in Utah. A joint civil-military facility, it is located in western Salt Lake City, approximately four miles from the central business district... |
237,000 | Delta, Southwest |
| 10 |  Portland, ORPortland International Airport Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah... |
230,000 | Horizon, Southwest |
Charter flights
Cargo airlines
AirAsia X
On September 14, 2009, OAK was the scene where Malaysia-based AirAsiaAirAsia
AirAsia Berhad is a Malaysian-based low-cost airline. AirAsia is Asia's largest low-fare, no-frills airline and a pioneer of low-cost travel in Asia. AirAsia group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to over 400 destinations spanning 25 countries. Its main hub is the Low-Cost...
honored its new partners: the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The airline's affiliate, AirAsia X
AirAsia X
AirAsia X is a long-haul, budget airline based in Malaysia. The airline is operated by AirAsia X Sdn. Bhd. . It commenced operations on 2 November 2007. Its first service flew from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, to Gold Coast Airport in Australia...
had one of their planes of executives and crew members "touch down" at OAK in acknowledgment of the to-be announced sponsorship. AirAsia executives have new optimism that service between the U.S. and the airline's main base in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, could possibly happen earlier than originally expected.
Facilities and aircraft
Oakland International Airport covers an area of 2600 acre (1,052.2 ha) which contains four runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s:
- South Field (Commercial and cargo operations):
- Runway 11/29: 10000 foot, surface: asphalt
- North Field (general aviation operations):
- Runway 9R/27L: 6212 foot, surface: asphalt
- Runway 9L/27R: 5454 foot, surface: asphalt
- Runway 15/33: 3372 foot, surface: asphalt
A number of general aviation FBOs
Fixed base operator
A Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
are located on the North Field:
- Transient aircraft support
- Business Jet Center
- Kaiser Air
- Flight schools
- Alameda Aero Club
- Lou Fields Aviation
- Oakland Flyers
- Repair operations
- Oakland Aircraft Maintenance
- Other
- Aerial Advertising Services
- Oakland Aviation MuseumOakland Aviation MuseumOakland Aviation Museum, formerly called Western Aerospace Museum, was founded in 1981 as a non-profit organization operating an aviation museum located at North Field of Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California. It has over 30 vintage and modern airplanes, both civilian and military,...
, formerly Western Aerospace Museum - Pacific Aerial Surveys
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2008, the airport had 269,631 aircraft operations, an average of 740 per day: 46% general aviation (188,064), 42% scheduled commercial, 12% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
and <1% military. There are 277 aircraft based at this airport: 51% single-engine, 34% multi-engine, 10% jet and 4% helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
.
Public
Oakland International is not yet directly connected to the Bay Area Rapid TransitBay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
(BART) system, but AirBART
AirBART
AirBART is a privately-run shuttle bus service that connects the Bay Area Rapid Transit's Coliseum/Oakland Airport station with Oakland International Airport . Buses stop at street level just outside the BART station and serve both airport terminals with one stop at the airport along the third curb...
shuttle buses and AC Transit
AC Transit
AC Transit is an Oakland-based regional public transit agency serving the western half of Alameda County and parts of western Contra Costa County in the western, Bay-side area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area...
's Lines 73 and 805 buses take passengers between the terminal and the Coliseum/Oakland Airport
Oakland Coliseum Amtrak/BART Station
The Oakland Coliseum Station is a complex of two stations of two public transit providers that are within of each other: Amtrak Capitol Corridors Oakland Coliseum station and Bay Area Rapid Transit 's Coliseum/Oakland Airport station...
station. AC Transit line 21's route from the Airport to Oakland's Dimond district, has a few in-between stops within the nearby island city of Alameda. The Fruitvale BART station is included as a stop for this line. Since the airport's renovation, AirBART now has a single stop located halfway between terminals 1 and 2 on the third curb. The bus has a layover of 5–10 minutes depending on the passenger load. AC Transit stops at the fourth curb between the terminals. Unless early, it departs immediately upon the completion of passenger boarding, to fit a set schedule. AirBART generally comes more often than AC Transit buses after 9:30 PM daily. AirBART and Line 73 run during regular hours from about 5am to midnight, whereas Line 805 is a night bus that runs from midnight to 5 am.
Road
Oakland International is accessible from Interstate 880Interstate 880
Interstate 880 is an Interstate Highway in the San Francisco Bay Area connecting San Jose and Oakland, running parallel to the southeastern shore of San Francisco Bay...
(Nimitz Freeway) which is 2 miles (3 km) away. The airport can be reached by exiting Hegenberger Road or 98th Avenue heading west; both streets converge into Airport Road before looping around in front of the terminals.
Future: Oakland Airport Connector
The Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) is planned as a people mover that would directly connect from BART and Amtrak at the Coliseum station to the terminal buildings at Oakland International Airport. Unlike the AirTrain, the Oakland Airport Connector would be operated by BART, integrated into the BART fare system with standard BART ticket gates located at the entrance to the station at the Airport end of the people mover.When built, the Oakland Airport Connector will replace AirBART buses. The connector’s automated people movers (APMs) will be electrically powered and operate on a fixed, elevated guideway. The APMs will arrive at the Coliseum BART station every four-and-one-half minutes and are designed to transport travelers to the airport in about eight minutes with an on-time performance of more than 99 percent.
In early 2010, the project lost $70 million of federal stimulus funding because the Metropolitan Transportation Commission had "equity concerns" related to the planned high fares on the connector.
Federal and state funding for the OAC became complete in September 2010, and the groundbreaking was held October 20. Design, utility relocation and construction combined, for the $484 million project is expected to take three-and-one-half years to complete.
Military aircraft mistake
On September 27, 2007, Oakland airport authorities ordered North American AirlinesNorth American Airlines
North American Airlines, Inc. is an American airline with its headquarters in Building 141 on the grounds of John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, USA. Prior to May 2008, it operated scheduled international services from the USA to Africa and Guyana. Today, it...
Flight 1777, carrying 200 U.S. Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
home from duty in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, to park 400 yard away from the airport terminal and refused to allow the troops to enter the terminal, although they were allowed off the aircraft to stretch their legs and use restrooms. The airliner had stopped in Oakland to refuel and reprovision. Oakland authorities stated that their decision was based on the fact that, "The airport received information that the passengers were not screened by the Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
(TSA) at their originating airport and that weapons were on-board the aircraft." The airplane's passengers, however, had been screened by TSA at John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
and no further screening was necessary. Oakland Airport officials apologized for the mistake - "There was no disrespect that was intended," said Omar Benjamin, executive director of the Port of Oakland, which runs the airport. "There was confusion. There were mistakes that were made." However, U.S. Representative John Mica
John Mica
John L. Mica is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, starting January 3, 2011....
stated that, "We believe this is not an isolated incident" and asked the United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
(DoT) to investigate.
The DoT released the report of its investigation on January 30, 2008. The investigation concluded that the airport did not break any laws or regulations in the incident. The investigation found that the contract under which military chartered transport aircraft are serviced at the airport does not require access to the terminal facilities for military passengers. The report stated that airport management was concerned that they could not provide "an adequate level of escort and control of such a large group of military personnel in or around the terminal area". The airport personnel were also concerned over the proper safeguarding and securing of the weapons carried on the military transport. The report further stated that a contributing factor was a lack of communication and coordination between the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
and the Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
, especially with regard to security screenings of military personnel on the chartered flights. The report recommended that a task force be established with representatives from Homeland, Defense, and Transportation departments and airlines and airports to develop a uniform process for handling military personnel on all military chartered flights at U.S. airports. Commenting on the report, Mica stated, "The shocking thing is that there is no protocol for handling our returning troops, and at Oakland they got a very rude welcome. We just need to get some regular order of the process so we don't have a recurrence of what we saw happen here."
Awards
The LEED Silver Certification Award has environmentally-cautious initiatives for Terminal 2's renovation and expansion were recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council. During March 2010, for the first time among the country's passenger-terminals, the council awarded OAK's #2 for Leadership in Energy and Environmental DesignLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
(LEED) Silver Certification.
.
See also
- List of airports in the San Francisco Bay Area
- List of airports in California
- California World War II Army AirfieldsCalifornia World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces established numerous airfields in California for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.-Overview:...