OAKLAND — Oakland International Airport’s surge in passenger traffic continues, thanks to increased travel to and from the East Bay and its increase in new flight routes at the airport.

The airport reported 1,008,886 airline passengers for the month of March, a 4.8 percent increase over March 2016. It is the first time passenger traffic at the airport surpassed 1 million visitors for the month of March in a decade.

The airport attributes it mostly to its surge in international flights. International operations increased by 73 percent over the same period last year. Southwest Airlines began its first international routes — to Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico — from Oakland in February. The airport also saw new service launch from Norwegian Air from Oakland to Copenhagen and a route to London from British Airways.

International traffic could increase further this summer. Level, a new bargain airline from International Airlines Group (parent company of British Airways), starts service to Barcelona June 2, and Norwegian begins service to Barcelona June.

“Travelers both to and from the Bay Area are responding well to the growing number of air service options at Oakland International, both domestically and internationally,” said airport director Bryant Francis. “As we continue to grow service and enhance infrastructure, I’m pleased to see Bay Area residents continuing to choose Oakland, along with many new travelers visiting from around the globe.”