Officials at Oakland International Airport (OAK) released December and Calendar Year passenger traffic figures reflecting stability in its passenger traffic numbers, and the highest number of passengers since its record year of 2007. The Airport saw 1,090,069 travelers in December 2018, a slight year-over-year increase.
In 2018, 13,594,251 passengers chose to fly to or from Oakland, up 4 percent in comparison with 13,072,245 passengers in 2017. 2018 registers as the busiest year for OAK's passenger traffic since 2007, when the airport saw a record 14.6 million passengers.
During the last year, new routes brought OAK’s roster to a high of 67 nonstop destinations, a record high in the Airport’s 91-year history. This upward trend has now delivered five years of consecutive monthly gains, with 13.6 million passengers having traveled through Oakland International’s terminal facilities in 2018 – an increase of 40 percent since 2013.
Looking ahead in 2019, the Airport will undergo the most extensive changes in its food and beverage concessions program in over a decade by incorporating a greatly increased presence of local concepts.
Bryant L. Francis, Director of Aviation for the Port of Oakland said: “We remain optimistic about the future as the Airport continues to expand its air service reach and makes great strides in enhancing the overall customer experience here. Moreover, I am excited to see the transformation that the Airport will undergo over the next year thanks to the successful proposers of last year’s Food & Beverage Concessions opportunity. Our customers will be surprised and delighted by what lies ahead.”
Looking Ahead
2019 is expected to build on the growth trend at Oakland International during recent years, including new additions such as the much-anticipated commencement of Southwest Airlines’ new service to the Hawaiian Islands, announced in 2018. On May 26, Swoop will become OAK’s newest air carrier, and the only airline at OAK to serve Canada.
