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Bay Area Airports Expecting Uptick In Holiday Travel Compared To Last Year

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Officials at the Bay Area's three major airports are expecting passenger traffic to be up this holiday season compared with last season, airport officials said Thursday.

Officials at San Francisco International Airport are expecting passenger traffic to jump 9 percent this season, airport spokesman Doug Yakel said. The holiday season at San Francisco International Airport starts Dec.  16 and ends Jan. 4.

Passenger traffic at Oakland International Airport is forecast to increase by about 10.5 percent during the holiday period of Dec. 18 to Jan.  4, airport spokeswoman Keonnis Taylor said.

Passenger traffic at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport is expected to be up about 7 percent, airport spokeswoman Vicki Day said. The holiday travel period at San Jose International Airport is Dec. 18 to Jan. 4.

Yakel attributed the increase at San Francisco International Airport to airport official's work to encourage more airlines to fly from the airport.

He also attributed the growth to work by several airlines to increase the number of flights or increase the size of their airplanes.

Like growth at San Francisco International Airport, growth over the past two years at Oakland International Airport has occurred in part because more flights are available to more places, airport officials said.

The number of seats available is up 9 percent compared with the 2014 holiday season.

© Copyright 2015 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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