Indian passenger traffic has accounted for a healthy proportion of San Francisco International Airport’s (SFO) overall growth in passenger numbers. Last year SFO witnessed a significant growth as it recorded 54 million passengers, much of which comprised of international passengers. India currently makes up 5.1 per cent of international traffic to SFO. Melissa Andretta, director – international marketing and aviation development, SFO, said, “This year too has been strong for us. There has been an increase in international travel from India. A big reason behind the growth is the large Indian population in San Francisco, and presence of the IT sector.”
A large part of growth from India is also attributed to Air India’s New Delhi – San Francisco flight launched in December 2015. Andretta has further expressed hope to see a non-stop flight from Mumbai in the near future.
Speaking about SFO’s strategy for 2018, she said, “Our focus in 2018 will be on working with the existing carriers and growing the existing routes. We will continue to leverage upon non-stop services. We are also in talks with three airlines in Europe and Asia to establish connections.”
SFO enjoys a significant share of premium travellers, consisting 14.9 per cent of total passengers. It also has a focus on making airport processes easier for passengers through numerous technologies and facilities. SFO works closely with Uber – it is teh first airport in the US to collaborate with the cab service provider. “We work closely with San Francisco Travel Association, which does a lot of promotions and works with its partners,” Andretta commented.
The upcoming Terminal 1 will add more capacity at SFO, which will also be one of the most eco-friendly terminals in the world. The terminal will be fully operational in 2022, whereas parts of it will be functional by 2019. Additionally, a 350-room Grand Hyatt property is also slated to open in 2019.
“What makes us unique is that we have dedicated yoga rooms inside the airport. Some of the other airport attractions at SFO include Wag Brigade, sleep/ shower rooms and SFO Museum,” she added.
