OAK No. 1 Again for On-Time Arrivals Among U.S. Airports in April 2009
-- Fourth Consecutive Month at the Top for OAK; Benefits Business Travelers and the Environment --
Oakland International Airport (OAK) is the No. 1 U.S. airport with the best on-time arrival record for the fourth consecutive month. OAK was No. 1 in April among the top 40 U.S. airports, as was the case in January, February and March, according to FlightStats. On-time performance is great for business travelers arriving on time for San Francisco Bay Area meetings or returning home from being on the road.
"Travelers choose Oakland International over other Bay Area airports because they have certainty that their flights will arrive on time year-round," said Steve Grossman, director of aviation for the Port of Oakland, which owns and operates OAK. "FlightStats' data reflects our airport's consistent on-time performance even during winter and early-spring months when weather can be severe." In addition to time savings, customers can feel good that they are reducing their carbon footprint by choosing to fly OAK where fewer aircraft are circling the airport waiting to land as others are idling on the ground awaiting take-off clearance. Aircraft taxi times at OAK average five to seven minutes less than those at other Bay Area airports. OAK was the top performing airport in April 2009, with 88.3 percent of flights arriving on time. OAK also ranked No. 1 in January, February and March of 2009, with 87.7 percent, 88.3 percent and 87.3 percent of flights arriving on-time respectively. There are a number of reasons for this success: 1) The consistently good weather in the East Bay; 2) OAK's main air carrier runway is being used at only 60 percent of its overall capacity, allowing air traffic control a lot of separation time in between arriving and departing flights; and 3) Airline, airport, FAA and other staff work together closely to ensure a safe, secure and on-time operation for the more than 11 million passengers who travel through OAK each year. FlightStats' data also shows that Hawaiian Airlines ranked No. 1 for the fourth consecutive month, with 91.4 percent of flights arriving on-time in April. Hawaiian offers a daily nonstop flight between OAK and Honolulu, Hawaii, on Boeing 767 twin-aisle, wide-body jets. FlightStats is an organization that tracks and compiles data about the airline industry. The company examined data for the 40 busiest airports in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and 45 U.S. scheduled passenger airlines. On-time means flights arriving within 15 minutes of the scheduled time. Visit www.flightstats.com for more information.
About the Port of Oakland: The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest containerport in the U.S. Oakland International Airport offers 150 daily nonstop flights to 34 destinations; and the Port's real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland. Please visit www.portofoakland.com and www.oaklandairport.com.
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