Bryant Francis, the director of Long Beach (LGB), will take over as director of aviation at Oakland International (OAK) on March 31. The 20-year aviation industry veteran replaces Deborah Ale Flint, who left OAK in June 2015 to become CEO of Los Angeles World Airports.
Francis has led LGB since January 2015. He was previously director of airports in Shreveport, La., and he also served in executive capacities at airports in Boise, Detroit and Palm Springs.
“This is an incredible opportunity in a dynamic growth market, and I am honored to have been selected as the Port’s new director of aviation,” said Francis. “I’m very familiar with the role Oakland International Airport plays in the Bay Area and look forward to working with the talented staff to lead the airport to even greater levels of success.”
OAK is in the midst of the second phase of its Terminal 1 complex modernization project, a $100 million effort that includes seismic retrofit architectural improvements and various customer environment upgrades. The airport has been seeing strong traffic growth recently, with an 8.4 percent increase in 2015.
Francis was selected from more than 100 candidates in a nationwide search and will lead a staff of 216 responsible for the operation of the San Francisco Bay Area’s second-busiest airport.
“We’re excited about Bryant’s arrival in Oakland,” said Chris Lytle, executive director at the Port of Oakland. “His selection was based on a combination of his professional background and skill, vision for Oakland International Airport, and fit as a member of the Port’s Executive Management Team.”
During his short tenure at LGB, Francis was involved in the citywide debate on whether the airport should host international flights. City officials are also involved in an effort to increase the number of flights at the slot-controlled airport, a move that has been opposed by neighborhood groups due to noise concerns.
The city of Long Beach said it will conduct a nationwide search for Francis’ successor, “considering both internal and external candidates who choose to apply.” Upon his departure, the city manager will appoint an interim director to lead LGB until the selection process is complete.
