On Jan. 31, officials at Oakland International Airport (OAK) released December and Calendar Year passenger traffic figures reflecting a continued upward trajectory, and the most passengers since its record year of 2007. The airport saw 1,086,388 travelers in December, 5.4 percent more than the 1,030,516 passengers who flew in December 2016.
For the year, 13,072,245 passengers chose to fly to or from Oakland, up 8.3 percent in comparison with 12,070,967 passengers in 2016. 2017 registers as the busiest year for OAK's passenger traffic since 2007, when the airport saw a record 14.6 million passengers. The airport has now experienced four years of consecutive monthly passenger traffic gains.
Bryant L. Francis, director of aviation for the Port of Oakland said, “It is very exciting to see OAK continue to expand its reach and prove its viability as a gateway linking the San Francisco Bay Area to destinations across the globe. We are finding more ways in which to partner with our stakeholders to raise OAK’s profile, and our customers are responding by flying the East Bay Way.”
While passenger counts surge and new international destinations continue to increase, the airport responded with timely upgrades to its infrastructure in 2017, including improvements to its Terminal 1 facilities and expansion of its International Arrivals Building (IAB). The $45 million IAB upgrade includes 13,000 sq. ft. of additional space incorporating a new baggage carousel and an expanded passenger primary processing room – all creating a dramatically improved customer experience for arriving international travelers at OAK.
Outside of the terminals, and perhaps one of the most impressive feats of the year, was the successful resurfacing of the airport’s primary commercial air carrier runway. The effort required two full weeks of around-the-clock construction and was completed while the airport maintained full operations. The $67 million project replaced 8,300 feet of asphalt to provide a new operating surface for aircraft.
Oakland International is the fourth busiest airport in the state and second busiest airport in the San Francisco Bay Area.
