WORLD ROUTES 2011: ArkeFly to Provide Amsterdam – Oakland International Connection

Dutch carrier ArkeFly is to introduce services between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Oakland International Airport in June next year boosting passenger links between Europe and the San Francisco Bay Area. The seasonal scheduled route will be operated on a twice weekly basis with one direct rotation to Europe alongside a one-stop offering and is part of the leisure carrier’s three city US west coast expansion that also includes flights to Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

ArkeFly is the airline division of Dutch tour operator TUI Nederland, which itself is part of the wider TUI Travel group, Europe’s largest travel conglomerate. The first flight is due to take place on June 7, 2012 and will continue for the summer months, ending October 18, 2012.

“We’re pleased to offer non-stop service between Amsterdam and the San Francisco Bay Area through the Oakland International Airport gateway,” said Steven van der Heijden, Chief Executive Officer, ArkeFly. “We look forward to creating many more smiles, like the branded smile on our airplanes, as passengers learn the ease and value of traveling on ArkeFly between Europe and Northern California.”

ArkeFly’s passengers will make use of the recently enhanced international arrivals area in Terminal 1 at Oakland International Airport and will operate the direct flight to Amsterdam every Thursday, routing via Los Angeles on Sundays. The flights are due to be operated by a Boeing 767-300ER configured in a three-class arrangement of 283 seats.

The twice-weekly service will produce significant stimulus to the regional economy with the potential of bringing an additional 500 plus inbound international passengers each week. Amsterdam is the first Continental European destination to be added at Oakland International in recent years. Flights to Mexico City were added to an existing service to Guadalajara in May this year, while seasonal services to the Azores islands have been available since 2000. Oakland International is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport offering over 300 daily passenger and cargo flights and its medium- and long-haul programs have positioned position the airport as the fourth largest international gateway to California.

“This European destination is a significant milestone for Oakland International as we grow new international service,” said Deborah Ale Flint, Director of Aviation for the Port of Oakland which owns and operates the airport. “Travellers arriving here from Amsterdam will enjoy an easy, efficient airport experience and outstanding access to the many attractions in the San Francisco Bay Area mega-region including San Francisco, Oakland, the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, as well as Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. We also think Bay Area residents will welcome a departure from Oakland International to Europe as an attractive option for their own vacation plans next summer,” she added.