American Airlines to End Presence at Oakland International Airport
American Airlines is dropping its service at Oakland International Airport in northern California, citing a lack of profits and the proximity of two other airports.
Wednesday, June 3, will be the last American flight out of Oakland.
In a statement to Fox News, an airline spokesperson said, “We’re constantly evaluating our network to meet customer demand. Unfortunately, our service in Oakland was not profitable and the last flight from OAK to Phoenix (PHX) will operate on June 3. We thank the team members who served our customers and will work closely with them during this transition.”
Virtually every airline and airport has been crushed by the effects of the global coronavirus pandemic, and American has been no exception. The number of fliers utilizing the airport in Oakland had dropped to staggeringly low levels.
But, as the airline noted, it will still fly into San Francisco International Airport and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. San Francisco’s airport is just 29 miles west of Oakland International; Mineta Airport in San Jose is 35 miles to the south.
Interestingly, Fox noted that American did not mention the coronavirus pandemic as one of the reasons for its decision regarding leaving Oakland. But airlines are only now beginning to see tiny, incremental growth in air travel after months of suffering the effects of the virus and demand that nearly slumped to no traffic at all.