Oakland International Airport (OAK)

OAK gains more transcontinental service as American Airlines adds service to New York/JFK in March and JetBlue Airways and United Airlines inaugurate service to Washington/Dulles in May.

OAK gains three daily nonstop flights to Chicago-Midway when Southwest Airlines inaugurates service in April.

The City of Oakland and OAK celebrate the Hegenberger Road/98th Avenue Gateway Projects in June, improving roadway access to the airport.

OAK celebrates "75 years of aviation excellence" with a number of anniversary festivities, including a historic air show in September.

OAK becomes the first airport in California and fourth in the nation to construct a ground run-up enclosure to reduce noise from engine testing in September.

JetBlue adds nine nonstop flights a day to their hub in Long Beach in September.

Frontier JetExpress inaugurates twice-daily nonstop service to Denver in October.

OAK finishes 2002 with an all-time high of 12.7 million passengers, an increase of 11 percent over 2001. OAK is the only Bay Area airport and one of the few airports in the nation to have passenger traffic growth in the post-9/11 environment.

OAK receives a retired Boeing 727 aircraft for training purposes from FedEx Express in March.

OAK's interim rental car center opens in August. All on-airport rental car agencies temporarily relocate to this North Field location. In 2007, this facility will be replaced by a permanent seven-level, 6,000-space rental car/public parking garage conveniently located across from the airport terminals.

The aviation industry celebrates its centennial anniversary on December 17. The cities of Dayton, Ohio and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina host First Flight celebrations.

OAK serves 13.5 million passengers in 2003, a 7.2 percent increase over the previous year. This marks the airport's seventh consecutive year of growth, despite events in 2003 such as the outbreak of SARS, the war in Iraq, and an economy that showed slight signs of improvement. OAK continues to be the only Bay Area airport to experience growth in 2003.

OAK completes its $120 million roadway improvement project in March. The roadway project, funded by Measure B tax dollars, improves access between the airport, Interstate 880 and Bay Farm Island, at the south end of the city of Alameda.

In April, the Port of Oakland celebrates groundbreaking of OAK's $500 million Terminal Improvement Program. This marks the beginning of construction of the Terminal 2 renovation and extension that adds five gates and a new parking garage to be located across from the airport terminals. Program completion is expected in 2007.

JetBlue inaugurates nonstop service to Boston in May, its fourth destination from Oakland.

OAK becomes the first airport on the West Coast and the second in the nation to establish a 200-yard marine security zone marked by a system of 14 buoys.

Southwest Airlines inaugurates new daily nonstop service to Houston-Hobby Airport and Philadelphia International Airport in October, bringing their total number of departures from OAK to 128 and 20 destinations.

In October, FedEx announces a new solar panel partnership with Berkeley-based PowerLight Corporation to install a 904-kilowatt solar array that will provide approximately 80 percent of the company's peak load demand at its Oakland hub.

North American Airlines inaugurates new scheduled service from OAK to Hawaii in November and announces plans to begin scheduled service to Cancun and Mexico City sometime in 2005.

Business Jet Center, OAK’s newest fixed base operator, dedicates its facilities at North Field in the airport’s original terminal/administrative building in December.

America West launches new weekly nonstop service to Los Cabos in December, the first carrier to provide both domestic and international nonstop service from OAK.

OAK serves 14.1 million passengers in 2004, a 4.1 percent increase over the previous year, despite continued significant financial losses for and subsequent restructuring of many U.S. airlines in 2004. OAK also handled 672,666 metric tons of air cargo, an 8.5 percent increase over the previous year.

Mexicana Airlines begins new nonstop service from OAK to Mexico City and Mexico beach cities in January.

OAK installs automated external defibrillators (AEDs) throughout the terminals and in administration offices in April, improving the airport’s already exemplary emergency preparedness program. Port and Oakland Fire Department staff provides AED training to airport employees.

FedEx Corp. throws the switch to activate California's largest corporate solar-power installation during a dedication ceremony at its OAK hub in August.

OAK’s fleet of 21 shuttle buses transporting passengers between the terminals and the Rental Car Center at OAK convert to using B20 Biodiesel in August. This cleaner-burning fuel is a blend of 20 percent soybean-based biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum-based diesel.

In August, Azteca Airlines inaugurated four weekly nonstop flights between OAK and Guadalajara, Mexico, with continuing service to Mexico City. Azteca is Mexico's third largest airline.

In October, construction begins on OAK's multi-phase Terminal Roadway and Curbside project, designed to improve terminal access and ease congestion in front of the terminals. This project includes new and expanded curbsides; expanded and realigned roadways; covered pedestrian walkways between the terminals and parking lots; and a dedicated Return to Terminal lane.

The East Bay Clean Cities Coalition held an event at OAK’s CNG station in October to celebrate the fact that more than one billion gallons of petroleum has been displaced by Clean Cities’s efforts nationwide over the last 10 years. As a long-time partner in the coalition, the Port and OAK have taken a leadership role in promoting a sustainable operating environment.

In November, Port of Oakland and Sprint staff jointly “cut the wire” and unveiled OAK’s new high-speed wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) network. Now, travelers at OAK can connect wirelessly to high-speed Internet service from all public areas in the terminals such as ticket counters, restaurants, boarding gates and baggage claim.

OAK serves nearly 14.5 million passengers in 2005, almost a 3 percent increase over the previous year.

JetBlue began a daily nonstop to Fort Lauderdale in January, representing the first time ever nonstop service has been offered between OAK and Florida.

ATA Airlines announced in January their plan to relocate operations from SFO to OAK beginning April 2006. With this new service, ATA will offer four new daily nonstops to the Hawaiian Islands, including Honolulu, Maui and Hilo.

In March, OAK celebrated the completion of the sound insulation program in the city of Alameda. Sound insulation improvements were offered to 629 eligible homeowners (593 town homes and 36 single-family homes) located on Bay Farm Island in Alameda. A total of 558 homeowners participated in the program, resulting in a participation rate of 89 percent.

The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners approved a master plan for OAK in March, allowing the airport to move forward with identifying specific development projects through 2025. The 18-month study included Port staff and representatives of the local community.

In April, ATA Airlines launched service from OAK with four daily nonstop flights to the Hawaiian Islands, including the cities of Honolulu, Maui and Hilo. ATA’s codeshare arrangement with Southwest Airlines allows the carriers to connect passengers.

OAK dedicated its new Terminal 2 baggage claim building in May, the first project of OAK’s $300 million Terminal Improvement Program to be completed. The 27,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility allows OAK to offer greater security, comfort and convenience to the over nine million passengers arriving on Southwest Airlines flights each year. The facility opened to the public in July.

In June, OAK and TSA showcased the airport’s new $16.4 million in-line explosive detection baggage screening system in Terminal 2. All checked bags are now routed by a complex system of conveyor belts to TSA’s Explosive Detection Systems (EDS). These minivan-sized machines allow TSA screeners to separate innocent checked luggage from suspect bags. TSA has increased its average throughput from 250 bags per hour to over 1,000 bags per hour in Terminal 2.

In November, OAK opened four gates in its new seven-gate concourse for Terminal 2. The additional three gates will open in spring 2007. This is the second project of OAK’s $300 million Terminal Improvement Program to open. The concourse features the first major public art installation under the Port of Oakland’s landmark public art policy. Going Away, Coming Home is a critically-acclaimed work by Oakland artist Hung Liu. It features 80 hand-painted red-crowned cranes, cited by National Geographic as symbols of luck and prosperity. The artwork spans 160 feet of windows and offers a visual representation of the journey each passenger experiences.

A brand-new third curbside at OAK opened in February, improving access and easing traffic congestion in front of both terminals. This project is part of OAK’s $110 million Roadway and Curbside Project scheduled to be complete in fall 2007.

In May, Skybus Airlines took to the skies between OAK and Columbus, Ohio, with a daily nonstop flight by offering $10 tickets on every flight.

In November, the Port of Oakland and SunEdison “flipped the switch” on a new 756 kW ground-mounted solar power system located on OAK’s NorthField. The zero emission clean solar power system is a major step in meeting the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners' environmental directives and is the Port's first utility generation plant. The photovoltaic system, which delivers approximately 1 million kilowatt hours of clean renewable energy annually, was deployed under a solar energy supply agreement with SunEdison, North America's largest solar energy services provider.

OAK marks its tenth consecutive year of passenger growth in calendar year 2007, up 1.3 percent over the previous year to 14.6 million passengers. This increase is primarily the result of new and expanded service by low-cost and international carriers.

Clear opens fast security lanes at OAK in March. Members use their Clear card, are biometrically (iris or fingerprint) identified, and receive expedited passage through the passenger security checkpoint. Clear cards can now be used at all three Bay Area airports.

OAK is the first California airport to offer the Transportation Security Administration’s “Self-Select Lanes.” The Self-Select program is a series of lanes designated by signs that direct passengers based on their travel needs and knowledge: Expert, Casual and Family/Special Assistance. TSA reports an overall increase in throughput and customer satisfaction.

In May, Hawaiian Airlines inaugurates service at OAK with daily nonstop service to Honolulu using wide-body 767 aircraft.

Host, OAK’s concessions management partner, begins a 10-year contract in June. Many new restaurants, stores and shops are opened in Terminals 1 and 2 during 2008, including:

• A 160-seat Chili’s too! which serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and meals to-go

• Oakland Tribune News, featuring the latest news and freshly-made sandwiches to-go under the iconic building logo of the city’s 130-year-old newspaper

• Four Starbucks which offer energizing beverages and snacks for travelers

• Sports Scene Oakland, a local sports shop featuring apparel and gifts for the East Bay’s favorite teams: Raiders, Athletics, Warriors and Cal

In October, Allegiant Air announces that they will begin twice-weekly nonstop service between OAK and Bellingham, Washington, a gateway to British Columbia, Canada, beginning February 2009.

Southwest Airlines offers its branded “Fly By” priority security lane to its Business Select customers and Rapid Reward A-List members in Terminal 2 in November. The same month, a premium customer lane is opened for first class and premier-level frequent flyer airline customers in Terminal 1.

FreeFi Networks launches free Wi-Fi Internet service at OAK in November. Travelers can now keep in touch with business and personal contacts between flights, at no cost.

Oakland International Airport’s Community Noise Management Forum celebrates its 10th anniversary and the strong partnerships created among citizens and elected officials from nine jurisdictions and OAK staff representatives in November.

OAK ranks first among the 32 largest U.S. airports for the least amount of delays over the past five years, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The primary reason for this is the consistently good weather in the East Bay. Travel + Leisure magazine named OAK the best Bay Area airport, and third best in the nation, for on time departure performance.

2008 was not a year of continued growth which OAK has uniquely enjoyed for the past decade. However, OAK’s success is driven by a business model of operating a low-cost airport. This focus will see Oakland through the downturn in the aviation industry and the economy.

According to FlightStats, OAK ranks highest for on-time arrivals among U.S. airports for the first four months in 2009 -- January, February, March and April.

In February, Allegiant Air begins service to Bellingham, Washington, a gateway to British Columbia with two weekly flights, marking the first time nonstop service between OAK and BLI is offered.

In June, Allegiant Air begins low-cost, nonstop service to Eugene, Oregon, the second largest city in Oregon, with two weekly flights, marking the first nonstop service between OAK and EUG.

Volaris Airlines, selects Oakland International Airport, after evaluating more than a dozen airports nationwide, for their U.S. launch. They begin service in July with two daily low-cost, nonstop flights between Oakland International Airport (OAK) and both Toluca (TLC) and Guadalajara (GDL), Mexico.

Alaska Airlines launches trans-Pacific flights between Oakland International Airport (OAK) and both Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii in November. The new service marks Alaska Airlines' first-ever from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Hawaiian Islands. Alaska operates four weekly flights to Maui (OGG) and three weekly flights to Kona (KOA).

In November, OAK becomes the fastest growing Bay Area airport for international flights. Growing from just a few international flights in 2008, OAK offers 78 international flights each week which reflects a 329 percent increase in flights and 409 percent increase in seats to Mexico.

OAK partners with the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) to announce the BART-Oakland International Airport Connector project. Scheduled to begin operations at the end of 2013, the Oakland Airport Connector is expected to generate thousands of jobs in OAK, the city of Oakland and the region. The Connector will replace current AirBART bus service and will offer Automated People Movers arriving every 4.5 minutes, with eight-minute trips between the airport and BART.

OAK is named Number 1 for on-time arrivals among all North American Airports in 2009, with 86.9 percent of flights arriving at the gate on time.

In March, OAK's Terminal 2 is the first airport passenger terminal in the U.S. to be awarded the LEED Green Building Silver Certification. OAK's Terminal 2 extension and renovation, completed in 2007, achieved LEED Silver Certification for conserving energy, material, and water, and incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. Green design and construction features include energy efficiency measures that reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 211 tons per year, water conservation measures yielding 24% less water use than in a conventional building, using low volatile organic compounds or VOC products, and recycling or reusing scrap building materials diverting more than 80% of jobsite waste from landfills.

In May, OAK receives a $2.5 million grant from the FAA for emissions reduction. The FAA's Voluntary Airport Low Emission (VALE) funding program allows OAK to install ground power infrastructure at 18 aircraft parking positions. Aircraft can now "plug-in" to emissions-free power when parked away from terminals overnight. The new system replaces the need to use aircraft internal jet-fueled auxiliary power units or external diesel-fueled ground power units.

Hawaiian Airlines begins daily service between OAK and Maui (OGG) in June. The service start date begins two weeks earlier than originally announced due to high demand.

Starting in June, Azores Express/SATA International resumes summer seasonal service between OAK and Terceira Airport (TER) in the Azores islands of Portugal with one weekly flight.

In October, construction begins on OAK's new 236 foot-tall air traffic control tower and 13,000 square-foot base building, soon to become one of the FAA's most environmentally friendly structures. The FAA commits to working to achieve a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold rating for the tower, which replaces the two existing OAK control towers. The facility's environmental benefits are expected to include solar panels on the roof, an underground geothermal system to provide heating and air conditioning, an underground water storage system to capture rain runoff for irrigation, low water use toilets, faucets and showers, a light colored roof to reduce the amount of heat that seeps into the building, and filtration trenches used to treat storm water.

In October, BART breaks ground on the Oakland Airport Connector. The train-to-plane connection is scheduled to open to OAK travelers in 2014.

In March, Alaska Airlines launches service to Lihue (LIH), on the island of Kauai, making it the fourth nonstop Hawaiian Island destination from OAK. Travelers out of OAK are now able to fly to Honolulu (HNL), Kahului (OGG), Kona (KOA) and Lihue (LIH) on Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines.

In May, Volaris launches new daily nonstop service to Mexico City (MEX), the capital of Mexico and largest city in the Americas.

In May, OAK becomes the first airport in Northern California and the second in the nation to install "new generation" electric vehicle (EV) chargers. EV driver services begins with the installation of eight Cuolomb ChargePoint® Network charging stations for EVs in the Premier Parking Lot. The charging stations, which can simultaneously serve up to 15 EV vehicles, give drivers the ability to check real-time status and location of unoccupied charging stations, and reserve a charging station.

Spirit Airlines is the first new airline to serve the Bay Area in 2011. In August, Spirit Airlines launches twice-daily nonstop service to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS), increasing to thrice-daily nonstops in September.

Delta launches five daily nonstop flights between OAK and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in August, connecting OAK travelers with Delta and SkyTeam's airline alliance hub to destinations around the globe.

In September, the Port of Oakland announces that Oakland International Airport will receive over $6.5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to rehabilitate its taxiways. This funding allows OAK to continue modernizing its facilities.

Allegiant launches inaugural nonstop service to Phoenix via Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA) in January marking the first flight ever between the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and the San Francisco Bay Area.

In April, Alaska Airlines launches new daily nonstop service to Honolulu (HNL), Oahu.

In May, Allegiant Travel Company expands its San Francisco Bay Area operations at Oakland International Airport with seven new nonstop destinations and 60 new jobs. The seven new cities from OAK are Billings (BIL), Bozeman (BZN), Kalispell (FCA), Missoula (MSO), Medford (MFR), Redmond (RDM), and Idaho Falls (IDA). As part of its expansion, Allegiant bases two 166-passenger MD-80 aircraft at OAK to support its growing operation.

In June, the Oakland International Airport marks 85 years of aviation excellence by offering 155 peak day nonstop departures to 41 domestic and international destinations, a record-high number of markets served since OAK began air service in June 1927.

ArkeFly, part of the largest travel conglomerate in Europe, launches inaugural twice-weekly service between OAK and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) in June. This marks the first time scheduled service is offered between OAK and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The flights stimulate the regional economy with over 275 inbound international passengers each week. The addition of these flights to OAK's current flight offerings makes OAK the fourth largest international gateway in California.

In December, FedEx announces that they will deploy new clean air technology at OAK. FedEx receives 15 tow tractors retrofitted with hydrogen powered fuel cells funded by a $2.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy. The tow tractors are used at two of FedEx's busiest airports, Memphis, TN and Oakland, CA.

OAK celebrates a year of passenger growth in calendar year 2012, up 8.36% over the previous year to 10,040,860 passengers. OAK was the second fastest growing airport among the top 40 airports in 2012.

In March, Allegiant announces that it would begin new nonstop twice-weekly flights between OAK and Provo (PVU), UT in June.

In April, Allegiant launches new daily nonstop service to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW). This marks the first time nonstop service has been offered to the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex from OAK.