San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport

San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport is the second-busiest passenger airport in the San Francisco Bay Area and among the ten-busiest cargo airports in the United States, serving 36 airlines on 224 routes to 140 nonstop destinations. Located 16 km (10 mi) south of downtown Oakland on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay at just 9 ft (2.7 m) of elevation, OAK opened in 1927 with a dedication by Charles Lindbergh and was the departure point for Amelia Earhart's final flight in 1937 — a first-century aviation pedigree that few US airports match. OAK is Southwest Airlines' largest West Coast operation outside its historic Dallas/Phoenix core, and the airline's dominance shapes the airport's route map: heavy point-to-point domestic service with thinner international exposure limited primarily to Mexico and seasonal transpacific/European operations. The airport is also one of FedEx Express's largest West Coast hubs, with a dedicated cargo apron adjacent to the airline's West Coast sort facility that handles overnight packages for the entire Pacific Rim-to-North America corridor. Other significant carriers include Spirit, Allegiant, Alaska, Volaris, and Hawaiian. In April 2024, the Port of Oakland's commissioners formally renamed the airport 'San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport' — a branding change that drew litigation from the City and County of San Francisco over competitive naming rights. OAK operates four runways: the primary 10,520 ft (3,206 m) 12/30 for air carrier traffic, and three shorter North Field runways (10R/28L, 10L/28R, 15/33) that handle cargo, general aviation, and historic-preservation light traffic at the North Field complex where Earhart and the pre-WWII mail flights operated. Two terminals — Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 — are connected post-security, allowing free movement between all gates. An elevated automated people-mover connects the terminals directly to the Coliseum BART station, the only direct rail connection to the regional Bay Area Rapid Transit system at any Bay Area airport.