New furniture greets Terminal 1 passengers at Oakland International Airport

CREDIT: Francis Zera

Oakland International Airport (OAK) is giving its facilities a refresh with newly installed gate furniture for Terminal 1 passengers just in time for the winter holiday travel season. This improvement comes on the heels of the airport’s recent Terminal 1 Carpet Replacement Project, which also contributes to the facility’s sleek new look. The goal of the project was to enhance passenger experience with attractive and comfortable seating that also provides high levels of durability and adaptability for electrification.

“Our airport team is committed to improving passenger experience for East Bay travellers,” says Craig Simon, Interim Director of Aviation at the Port of Oakland. “We hope that our passengers enjoy the variety of new seating options that have been added in this refresh. We look forward to kicking off a couple of new projects in the coming year that will continue to build on our efforts to beautify Terminal 1.”

Oakland International Airport Terminal 1 facility has served the traveling public in the East Bay since its opening in 1962. The terminal is home to several of OAK’s commercial passenger airline operations, including Hawaiian Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Volaris Airlines, and Allegiant Airlines. Southwest Airlines also operates several gates in Terminal 1 in addition to their primary operation in Terminal 2.

The new flexible seating systems come from environmentally sustainable manufacturer Vitra (based in Switzerland). Vitra has drawn all of its electricity for its production sites from hydropower sources since 2008, and photovoltaic panels mounted on the roofs of the production facilities also generate solar power. A high degree of recyclability is pursued by making products easy to dismantle and using only as many different materials as necessary. The modularity of both the Soft Wait and Meda Gate seating systems will allow OAK to add and change seating amenities and components as passenger requirements and airline operations change.

The assembly and installation work at Oakland International Airport were completed by AllModular. A total of 1,086 new seats were installed, including 1,001 standard seats, 81 soft-sided couch seating, and four chaise lounge seating. The previous furniture, which was well used and served airport passengers for approximately 15 years, is currently being sold for bid by a third-party provider.

The standard seating pieces were chosen for their polyurethane seat shells, which provide comfort, durability, and are easy to clean. Additionally, the pieces can be adapted to include device charging, which is a function that OAK plans to add in the near future. The modular sofa seating gives a modern compliment to the traditional airport seating configurations and adds colour while also providing a different look and feel for passenger comfort.

In addition to the recent furniture and flooring replacements, the airport has additional plans to continue to modernize the Terminal 1 facility. Notable projects on the horizon include a renovation of the Terminal 1 ticketing counters and restroom facilities, with both projects currently in the design phase.

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CREDIT: Francis Zera

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CREDIT: Francis Zera