The international arrivals terminal at Oakland International Airport is now open following a $45 million renovation, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
The expanded 130,000-square-foot terminal can now handle about 600 passengers per hour; previously, it could only accommodate a single wide body aircraft with no more than 300 passengers. Additions included more visitor processing and passport control stations, as well as a pair of new baggage carousels.
Oakland International Airport is California’s fourth-busiest airport, handling about 13 million passengers annually. Airlines, including newcomers Norwegian and British Airways, offer flights to 13 international destinations, with international traffic increasing 134 per cent in the past year.
In addition to the city of Oakland, the airport is close to San Francisco and the Napa Valley.
“This represents important growth at the airport — international growth,” said Joan Story, president of the Port of Oakland’s Board of Commissioners.
“People are now beginning to understand there is an alternative to (San Francisco International Airport) when they travel internationally.”