OAK Ranks Highest for On-Time Arrivals Among US Airports in February 2009
-- Second Consecutive Month at No. 1; Benefits Environment --
Oakland, Calif. -- For the second consecutive month Oakland International Airport (OAK) had the best on-time arrival record in February among the top 40 U.S. airports, according to FlightStats, an organization that tracks and compiles data about the airline industry. On-time performance is good not only for customer service, but also positively contributes to the environment.
"Travelers choose Oakland International over other Bay Area airports as 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. "Our customers can also feel good that they are reducing their environmental impact by choosing Oakland, as less aircraft are circling the airport waiting to land and idling on the ground awaiting take-off clearance," he continued.
Aircraft taxi times at OAK average five to seven minutes less than those at San Francisco International Airport. In addition to arriving on-time, customers are in the air and on to their destination more quickly.
OAK was the top performing airport in February 2009, with 88.3 percent of flights arriving on time. OAK also ranked No. 1 in January 2009, with 87.7 percent of flights arriving on-time. 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's data also shows that Hawaiian Airlines ranked No. 1 for the second consecutive month, with 91 percent of flights arriving on-time in February. Hawaiian offers a daily nonstop flight between OAK and Honolulu, Hawaii, on Boeing 767 twin-aisle, wide-body jets.
FlightStats examined data for 40 major airports in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and 37 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 third busiest containerport on the U.S. West Coast. Oakland International Airport offers 150 daily nonstop flights to 26 destinations; and the Port's real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square, as well as 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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