OAKLAND (BCN) — Last month was a busy one for the Oakland International Airport, as it served 1.13 million passengers during July, airport officials announced Thursday.
The increase translates to a 6.1 percent increase from July 2015, when it saw 1,067,398 passengers, airport officials said.
Additionally, July was the 32nd consecutive month of year-over-year traffic gain at the airport.
“We are thrilled to add yet another month to our tally of increased year-over-year passenger growth. This type of increase is particularly meaningful in July, which is already traditionally busy due to summer travel,” Port of Oakland Director of Aviation Bryant Francis said.
The July increase is partly credited to Southwest Airlines, which accounts for 69.4 percent of the airport’s total passenger traffic volume. The airline also reported a 7.3 percent increase in passengers at the airport, airport officials said.
The airline is expected to bring in even more travelers in the coming months as it begins its first nonstop international flights from the Oakland airport to Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, beginning in February 2017.
In addition, Allegiant Air is expected to begin nonstop flights to El Paso starting in October, according to airport officials.
“We are pleased with the way things are shaping up with seat capacity growth for the remainder of the year and are confident that our customers will continue to respond to the service and options offered by the airport and our partners,” Francis said.
Last year, the airport served 11.2 million passengers and is expected to surpass 12 million passengers this year. The airport is considered the fastest growing large airport in the state on a percentage basis, according to airport officials.