Ben Mutzabaugh

USA TODAY

Southwest Airlines intends to make Oakland one of its gateways for international flights.

The carrier announced Wednesday that it has applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation for the rights to fly from Oakland to the Mexican resort cities of Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.

Southwest says it would be the first U.S. airline to offer service from the Bay Area airport to those destinations. Southwest hopes to begin the service in February, pending regulatory approval.

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“Linking the San Francisco Bay Area to these popular Mexican beach resort areas with time-saving itineraries brings our customers low-fare and high-value service that is an exciting addition to our growing international portfolio,” Leah Koontz, Southwest VP of Finance & Controller, says in a statement. “We’re adding nonstop service that extends the reach of Oakland’s convenient airport experience to two top-ranking international destinations without a nonstop option.”

Southwest's announcement was welcomed by airport officials at Oakland International (OAK), one of the three big airports to serve the San Francisco Bay metro area. San Francisco International (SFO) – the busiest in the Bay Area – and San Jose (SJC) are the others. While SFO is entrenched as the region’s primary airport, SJC and OAK are competitive in their efforts to lure additional airline service and passengers to their airports.



“Los Cabos, in particular, is the most requested international destination from the East Bay and North Bay that does not have a nonstop option,” Port of Oakland aviation director Bryant Francis adds in Southwest's statement. “Southwest’s continual investment, especially with new medium-haul and long-haul flights has made Oakland International the fastest growing major airport in California in terms of passengers, and they’re enjoying unprecedented value and reliability.”

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