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Image of March passenger traffic at OAK leaps ahead with a 59.6 percent month-to-month increase

March passenger traffic at OAK leaps ahead with a 59.6 percent month-to-month increase

Air cargo traffic up 22.6 percent as well

Press Releases, Airport, Community
May 6th, 2021

Oakland, Calif. – May 6, 2021: Oakland International Airport, the second busiest airport in the San Francisco Bay Area, reports rebounding passenger and cargo traffic for March 2021. The airport saw a record month-to-month increase in traffic as it continues to outpace other airports in the region.

In March 2021 passenger traffic at Oakland International Airport (OAK) increased by 59.6 percent from what was reported for February 2021. The airport saw 182,147 more passengers than it did in February. Air cargo, also rebounding, was up 22.6 percent from February.

March 2021 passenger and cargo statistics:

  • Oakland International Airport saw 487,610 total passengers in March 2021, up 59.6 percent from February 2021 with 305,463 passengers.
  • In March, a total of 248,168 passengers departed OAK’s runways. Of those, 196,640 were local boarding and 51,528, a two-year high, were connecting passengers. The growing number of connecting passengers reflects an increasing preference for passengers to choose the convenience of OAK as the connecting point for their onward journey.
  • There were 8,319 international-arriving passengers in March.
  • March 2021 passenger traffic was up 7.93 percent compared to March 2020.
  • On a rolling 12-month basis, although now steadily recovering, traffic is still off 72.47 percent with 3,482,835 passengers this year compared to 12,650,333 during the same period a year ago.
  • 116 million pounds of air cargo were transported, up 18.6 percent in a year-over-year comparison and 22.6 percent from February.

“As more people are fully vaccinated, we see traffic building toward pre-pandemic levels” said Bryant L. Francis, Port of Oakland Director of Aviation. “We appreciate that local travelers are choosing to Fly OAK First as they return to the sky and this is evident with OAK outpacing other local airports in recovering a greater percentage of our normal passenger traffic,” he added.

About Oakland International Airport  

Oakland International is the main airport for the greater East Bay, the most populated area in the metropolitan San Francisco Bay area. It is the closest airport to most Bay Area employers. By roadway and BART air-rail, OAK enables excellent access to all of the region’s business, entertainment and tourism venues. The vision of Oakland International Airport is to be the airport of choice for San Francisco Bay Area residents and visitors alike. OAK is operated by the Port of Oakland, which also oversees the Oakland seaport and 20 miles of East Bay waterfront. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 84,000 jobs in the region with more than a $130 billion economic impact. Updates about travel during the COVID19 pandemic, current departure and arrival information, airport maps, and details about on-airport parking, shopping and dining and more, can be found at  www.oaklandairport.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Media Contact  

Roberto Bernardo, Oakland International Airport spokesperson 

OAK 24-hour media only hotline: 510-563-6500  

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