Oakland International Airport Remembers Sept. 11
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cyndy Johnson, (510) 563-2820
Rosemary Barnes, (510) 563-2892
Jo Murray, (510) 238-8430
After Hours, (510) 563-3360
Note to Editors: A media representative will be on-site tomorrow and can be reached at the following on-site numbers:
5 a.m.-9 a.m. – Jo Murray, 510-435-2006
9 a.m.-1 p.m. – Cyndy Johnson, 510-774-7511
1 p.m.-4 p.m. – Rosemary Barnes, 510-815-2897
4 p.m.-9 p.m. – Jo Murray, 510-435-2006
OAKLAND, California, September 10, 2002 – Oakland International Airport will commemorate the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11 by lowering to half staff the U.S. flag in front of Terminal One at 7:15 a.m. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) management staff, under the leadership of Federal Security Director Fred Lau, will be present at the security checkpoints to greet the public. The airlines plan to hold private ceremonies for their staff.
The airport expects about 22,000 passengers to travel through its facilities on Sept.11, about two-thirds of a normal September day of 33,000 passengers.
“Security and safety are our Number One priorities at Oakland International Airport,” said Steve Grossman, director of aviation. “Oakland has made a number of enhancements to its security program as a result of the tragic events of Sept. 11.”
Security enhancements at Oakland International include:
- Appointment of Laurence Buffaloe to the newly created Oakland International Airport position of manager of airport security;
- Appointment of Fred Lau to the TSA position of Federal Security Director;
- Construction of a $3 million security facility that will house the requisite explosives detection system (EDS) equipment;
- Additional security checkpoint lanes in both terminals;
- Four OPD explosives-sniffing canines; and
- A $10 million annual security contract with Oakland Police Department and Alameda County Sheriffs Department.
Oakland International Airport is one of the few airports in the country that has seen passenger traffic and capacity growth since last Sept. 11. Oakland served 11.4 million passengers in 2001, an increase of 7.5 percent, and is expected to serve 12 million passengers in 2002. The airport finished 2001 with 180 daily departures and currently has 205 daily departures.
“With our proximity to the growth centers of the San Francisco Bay Area, new nonstop service to the East Coast, Hawaii and Mexico and affordable fares, Oakland has continued to grow, in spite of the downturn in the economy and the events of Sept. 11,” added Grossman.
Oakland International has 13 domestic and international carriers serving 37 nonstop destinations, including the Hawaiian Islands, the New York area, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Mexico. The airport is a revenue division of the Port of Oakland.
