Oakland International Airport: OAK Backgrounder

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A History of Aviation Excellence and Importance to the Community
For more than 75 years, Oakland International Airport (OAK) has been an important force in aviation history and a contributor to the economic well being of the San Francisco Bay Area. According to a 2001 economic impact report, the airport was responsible for infusing $4.5 billion annually into the local economy and is responsible for generating 5,500 induced jobs such as those that provide service for visitor/tourism jobs, such as hotel staff, taxi and charter bus drivers and tour guides. The airport complex and other OAK-related aviation businesses employ approximately 8,000 people, of which roughly one-third are in jobs related to cargo.

The original airport at North Field was built in 1927 and is still in operation today for air cargo, general aviation and corporate jet activities. Commercial passenger and cargo jet aircraft operate from South Field, which opened in 1962.

The airport is a thriving business, handling more than 13 million passengers and nearly 700,000 tons (1.43 billion pounds) of air cargo annually.

December 1926	Oakland voters overwhelmingly approve a charter amendment to create a new city board, the Board of Port Commissioners, charged with overseeing the city's waterfront.
February 1927	Oakland City Council expands the Board of Port Commissioner's authority to include operation of an airport within the port area.
June 1927	Construction of Oakland Municipal Airport (what is now North Field) begins, including construction of a 7,020-foot runway, the longest in the world for its day.
July 1927	Pilot Ernie Smith and his navigator Emory Bronte set a new speed record from Oakland to Hawaii 25 hours, 37 minutes.
August 1927	Nine airplanes and thousands of spectators gather at Oakland Municipal Airport for the start of the Dole Races to Hawaii, sponsored by pineapple magnate James Dole.
September 1927	Oakland Municipal Airport is dedicated, with Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh presiding over the ceremonies.
December 1927	Boeing Air Transport (predecessor to United Airlines) inaugurates U.S. transcontinental passenger and airmail service between Oakland and New York.
February 1928	Boeing Air Transport begins West Coast passenger and airmail service between Oakland and Southern California.
May 1928	Australian World War I ace Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith departs from Oakland with a crew of three bound for Australia via Hawaii. The 7,300-mile trip takes seven days and is the first flight between the two continents.
Summer 1929	Construction is completed on airport building facilities, including five hangars, passenger terminal/administrative offices and a restaurant.
February 1930	The passenger terminal is now adjoined by the nation's first airport inn.
June 1931	Amelia Earhart guides an autogiro (a hybrid airplane/helicopter) into Oakland, the first-ever transcontinental flight in this aircraft.
March 1932	Trans World Airlines inaugurates service from Oakland.
January 1935	Amelia Earhart returns to Oakland after an 18 hour, 15 minute flight from Honolulu, the first trans-Pacific solo venture, where 15,000 aviation enthusiasts greet her.
May 1937	Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan take off from Oakland to begin their ill-fated around-the-world journey.
June 1937	United Airlines introduces Douglas DC-3 aircraft for its Oakland-New York service. The plane carries 14 passengers and makes the trip in just over 15 hours, with stops in Salt Lake City, Cheyenne and Chicago.
August 1940	The Board of Port Commissioners purchases 302 acres of land adjoining the airport, expanding the facility to 1,200 acres.
1943	Oakland becomes the marshalling point for all planes bound for the U.S. forces in the Pacific. All of Oakland's commercial flights are diverted to San Francisco Municipal Airport for the duration of the war.
1945	A new 6,200-foot east-west runway paralleling the original runway is constructed.
1946	Western Airlines begin scheduled service between Oakland and Los Angeles. The "Fly Oakland" campaign is launched to discourage the wartime practice by airlines of transporting Oakland passengers to San Francisco Municipal Airport.
1947	The airport is returned to Port control. American Airlines begins flights from Oakland.
1953	Oakland voters approve a $10 million general obligation bond issue for major expansion of Oakland Municipal Airport.
1960	The Port begins construction of a 10,000-foot jet runway behind a 4.5-mile dike to the south of the airport's existing facilities. The new 600-acre complex will consist of a new passenger terminal topped by a 10-story control tower, a separate air cargo building and a jet hangar.
1962	The new $20 million Oakland International Airport opens.
1963	Trans World Airlines launches the first scheduled jet service from Oakland.
1965	Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) inaugurates Oakland to Los Angeles service.
1966	The Port is awarded a grant of $10.6 million from the federal government under the Economic Development Act of 1965 for construction of a jet maintenance facility to be operated by World Airways.
1973	A 16,000-square-foot International Arrivals Building opens. The maintenance facility is officially dedicated. World Airways will use the facility to perform contract maintenance services for 14 airlines. The facility can accommodate four Boeing 747 or six DC-10 aircraft simultaneously. FedEx establishes Bay Area headquarters at Oakland.
1979	World Airways inaugurates service between Oakland and Newark.
1980	Construction begins on a new $1.3 million Executive Terminal at North Field.
1985	Terminal Two is dedicated. The $16.3 million facility adds seven gates, used primarily by air carriers AirCal and PSA.
1988	FedEx opens a 13-acre Metroplex regional sort facility west of the passenger terminals. The facility processes some 250,000 parcels and documents daily and is the fourth largest in FedEx's system.
1989	Southwest Airlines inaugurates service from Oakland.
1991	A new 25,000-square-foot International Arrivals Building opens. The facility is designed for customs and immigration processing of 500 passengers per hour.
1994	Southwest Airlines opens a flight crew base at Oakland.
1995	Southwest Airlines opens a pilot base at Oakland. FedEx opens an International Customs Clearance Center to process Pacific Rim freight.
1996	The FAA installs a new instrument landing system (ILS), called Mark 20, at South Field that allows for Category 3 operations at lower landing minimums. Oakland International is the first Bay Area airport to have this system installed.
1997	In conjunction with the 60th Anniversary of Amelia Earhart's attempt to circumnavigate the world, Linda Finch successfully completes the around-the-world flight, beginning and ending her flight at Oakland Airport's historic North Field. Oakland International Airport turns 70 years old in June. The Port of Oakland Board of Port Commissioners approves the airport's expansion plans, known as the Airport Development Program, and certifies the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the program in December.
1998	A 33,000-square-foot state-of-the-art Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting station is opened in December.
1999	The Port of Oakland moves forward with its plan to expand and improve Oakland International Airport, beginning with the construction of the Airport Roadway Project, a $104 million project funded by Measure B tax dollars. The roadway project will provide a new six-lane parkway from I-880 at 98th Ave. into the Airport, extending into Alameda's Bay Farm Island.
2000	Aloha Airlines launches nonstop service to Honolulu and Maui in February. Oakland International Airport boards its ten millionth passenger in a 12-month period (April 1, 1999-March 30, 2000), the first time in the airport's 73-year history. Continental Airlines launches twice-daily nonstop service to Houston in June. Oakland International Airport gains three daily nonstop flights to the New York area in August -- Continental Airlines with two flights to Newark International Airport (EWR) and JetBlue with one flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). More than one million passengers (1,013,726) traveled through Oakland International Airport during the month of August, the first time ever in the airport's 73-year history. The Federal Aviation Administration issues a Record of Decision announcing a "Finding of No Significant Impact" upon the environmental assessment for the Airport Development Program in December. This action allows the Port of Oakland to move forward with its plans to expand and improve Oakland International Airport. Oakland International Airport handles more than 10.6 million passengers and 700,000 metric tons of air cargo in 2000.
2001	Aloha Airlines launches twice daily service between Oakland and Las Vegas in February and four flights a week between Oakland and Kona in April. JetBlue Airways launches an additional nonstop flight between Oakland and New York/JFK and Spirit Airlines launches nightly nonstop service between Oakland and Detroit in May. Delta Airlines launches twice daily service between Oakland and Atlanta in June and three daily flights to Salt Lake City in October. Southwest Airlines launches a daily flight to New Orleans in October.
2002	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.
2003	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.
2004	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 2008. 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 plans to inaugurate new scheduled service from OAK to Hawaii, Cancun and Mexico City in November.

Rev. 11/04