Oakland International Airport

Oakland International serves the East Bay and, for many trips, the whole Bay Area — it's often a quicker, less congested option than crossing to San Francisco. Its North Field is a long-established general-aviation and business-aviation base, physically separate from the commercial South Field, so a charter departure here skips the airline side entirely.

Who flies here

OAK mixes significant commercial service on the South Field with a deep general-aviation presence on the North Field. For charter, the North Field's hangars and FBOs make it a practical, uncrowded departure point for East Bay and greater Bay Area travelers.

On the field

As of mid-2026 the FBOs at Oakland include Signature Aviation and KaiserAir, both on the North Field along Earhart Road. KaiserAir has operated here since the 1980s, tracing its roots to industrialist Henry J. Kaiser's private aviation department.

A bit of history

Oakland bought 680 acres for an airport in 1927, spurred by the Dole Air Race to Hawaii; the field opened that year and its long runway launched several famous early trans-Pacific attempts. Amelia Earhart's name survives on Earhart Road, where the FBOs sit today — a nod to the era when Oakland was one of the launching points for record ocean flights.

FBO and history details were last verified mid-2026 against the airport's and operators' own published information; tenants and amenities change, so confirm the departure terminal with your operator.