Oakland International Airport Recognized for Marketing Excellence Among North American Airports

– Awarded First and Third Place Awards in Annual Contest –

Oakland, Calif. — Oct. 1, 2010 — Oakland International Airport (OAK) announced today that it has received two awards in the Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) 2010 Excellence in Marketing and Communications Contest.

OAK took first place in the Partnering with Carriers category. OAK partnered with Alaska Airlines in the successful launch of Alaska’s first-ever service from the San Francisco Bay to both Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii in November 2009. Airport staff joined with Alaska Airlines by providing assistance with route development, co-hosting three promotional events, and collaborating on a popular advertising campaign. The partnership contributed to Alaska’s OAK to Hawaii service with passengers routinely filling more than 90 percent of seats onboard. Subsequently, Alaska announced plans to add Hawaii service, with a nonstop flight to Lihue, on the island of Kauai, from OAK in spring 2011.

OAK also received a third place award in the Special Events contest category. In March 2010, OAK announced that it had the first passenger terminal in the US to be awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. A press conference was held to share this significant achievement, and the airport won third place for the significant press and community attention this announcement garnered.

“Oakland International Airport staff is honored to be recognized for the fourth consecutive year by Airports Council International – North America for the quality of our hard work in supporting our air carrier customers and promoting the Port’s commitment to the environment,” said John Albrecht, Aviation Marketing Manager for the Port of Oakland, which owns and operates OAK. “We are proud to be ranked among the top airports in North America for our marketing and communications excellence,” he continued.

ACI judges from across the nation evaluated entries based upon innovative approaches and overall effectiveness of the efforts. Award winners were recognized at the ACI-NA annual meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this week. Some 55 airports across North America submitted over 250 entries in this year's contest.

About ACI-NA
Airports Council International - North America represents local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Nearly 400 aviation-related businesses are also members of the association, which is the largest of the five worldwide regions of Airports Council International. Visit http://www.aci-na.org/ for ACI-NA’s press release and awards list.

About the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport and fourth largest airport in California, offering over 140 daily flights; 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. Visit portofoakland.com and oaklandairport.com.

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