OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 12: Travelers walk towards Terminal 2 at Oakland International Airport on April 12, 2024 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport is introducing a new program that will allow friends and family of travelers to greet them, or say one last goodbye, right at their gate.
The OAK Gust Pass Program, which went into effect on Monday, allows non-passengers to apply online for security clearance in advance of the day they want to visit the airport. "Non-passengers" must apply for security clearance up to seven days in advance of the day they want to visit the airport.
Approved visitors will receive an OAK Guest Pass, but will still have to present an approved photo ID such as a passport or Real I.D.
"We want OAK to become a meaningful experience for all of our visitors, not just a curbside drive-by experience, Kristi McKenney, executive director of the Port of Oakland said in a press release. ‘The OAK Guest Pass allows families to spend more precious time with their loved ones as they see them off on their next adventure or welcome them home from one."
The OAK Guest Pass makes the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport among the first in California to allow non-travelers past security checkpoints in over 20 years.
Prior to the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, airports allowed people without a boarding pass to pass through security and go to a gate. Following those attacks, the Transportation Security Administration was created to increase security at airports, and federal regulations began requiring airports to restrict access to secured areas.
Several airports across the country have recently begun introducing similar programs — The Kansas City International Airport has a "guest pass," the Philadelphia International Airport has a "wingmate pass," and the Detroit Metropolitan Airport has a "destination pass."