COVID Recovery: Oakland International Airport Expecting 130,000 Passengers Over Memorial Day Weekend
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – Officials at Oakland International Airport expect more than 130,000 passengers during the Memorial Day travel period, a sign of travel picking up amid loosening COVID-19 restrictions and rising vaccinations.
Airport officials said in a statement that the period between Wednesday and Monday will be the busiest so far this year. Friday is likely to be the busiest travel day during that stretch, with more than 30,000 passengers expected.
The numbers are a far cry from a year ago, when the airport saw only 45,819 passengers for the entire month of April 2020, when the region was under a shelter-in-place order. In April of 2019, the airport saw 1.36 million passengers.
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Passenger traffic at Oakland has been steadily growing in recent months and has outpaced SFO and Mineta San Jose International Airports on a percentage basis, officials said.
In response, the airport is offering free COVID-19 testing, reopening restaurants and shops and has reopened the economy parking lot.
The airport reminded travelers that face coverings continue to be mandatory in the airport and on planes, per TSA regulations.
"We ask that travelers arrive at the airport early, wear a mask as required, and travel responsibly as we head into a busy summer here at OAK," said Bryant Francis, director of aviation at the Port of Oakland.
