OAK Airport reports 76% increase in passengers in 2021, cargo up 8.7%

Oakland, Calif. – February 15, 2022: Oakland International Airport reports annual passenger and air cargo statistics for December and all of 2021. Annually, passenger traffic at OAK increased 76.2 percent from 2020 and total air cargo increased 8.7 percent from last year.

Oakland International Airport in 2021

• In 2021, Oakland International Airport welcomed 8,142,320 passengers. This is an increase of 76.2 percent from 2020 and a decrease of 39.1 percent from 2019. Total air cargo transported at OAK for 2021 was 1.4 billion pounds. This is an increase of 8.7 percent from 2020 air cargo totals.
• Frontier Airlines, new to OAK, began service on February 4^th introducing flights to Denver, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. Since their introduction, Frontier flights have doubled from 40 to 81 flights per month.
• Other new routes announced in 2021 by the airlines that serve OAK include:
  • Allegiant: Bozeman
  • Delta: Los Angeles, Detroit
  • Southwest: Santa Barbara, Eugene, and Bellingham
  • Spirit: Philadelphia
• New concessions constructed in 2021 include:
  • Subway
  • Oaklandish Coffee Collective
  • Peet’s Coffee - Terminal 2
• Capital improvement projects with major progress include:
  • Taxiway Bravo Rehabilitation
  • Airport Perimeter Dike Flood Protection Improvements
  • Lift Station 2, 12 and 15 Upgrades and Rehabilitations

“After a challenging year of demanding work and dedication by the team and our partners at Oakland International Airport, we are proud of what we have been able to accomplish in 2021,” says Bryant L. Francis, Director of Aviation at the Port of Oakland. “With new routes introduced, new concession locations, and a 76% increase in total passengers compared to last year (2020), travelers can count on OAK to keep pushing forward in 2022 as our industry continues to recover.”

Graphs depicting annual cargo and passenger statistics may be found below.

December 2021 statistics are listed at the end of this release.

Oakland International Airport has continually trended better than other Bay area airports during the pandemic crisis retaining more of our passengers on a percentage basis, as shown in the graph below.

Monthly Change in Passengers vs. 2019

December 2021 Passenger and Cargo Statistics

• Oakland International Airport saw 813,266 total passengers in December 2021. This represents a 71.0 percent return to pre-pandemic passenger levels for the month.
• In December, a total of 414,984 passengers departed OAK’s runways. Of those, 52,797 were connecting.
• There were 12,987 international passengers arriving in December.
• The airport saw November passenger traffic jump by 153.8 percent compared to December 2020 when just 320,399 passengers were carried.
• 140.3 million pounds of air cargo were transported in December, down 3.4 percent in a year-over-year comparison.

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:

Kaley Skantz – Airport Spokesperson                    Click here to contact Kaley Skantz

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