Mid-state airports are busier places this year with some boasting of record passenger numbers.
Fresno Air Terminal spokesperson Vickkie Calderon says June’s numbers were “highest passenger count ever” with ten major airlines operating. Monthly numbers show a 5 to 11% increase during the first 6 months of 2013. Factors contributing to the higher passenger numbers include new air service introduced last summer with Allegiant Air adding non-stop flights to Honolulu(now suspended until possibly XMAS), as well as Alaska Airlines’ launch of twice daily non-stop service to San Diego, California.Also, this year’s addition of low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines with non- stop service to Denver, Colorado as well as seasonal flight frequencies from existing domestic air carriers and solid bookings on the international carriers to Guadalajara, Mexico.
At Kern County’s Meadows Field in Bakersfield passenger traffic is on pace to increase over last year which was the best year since 2008. Some 271,00 passengers flew through Bakersfield last year – up from a low of 208,677 in 2009. So far this year, every month is higher than the corresponding month of 2012 with some months up over 10%.
In Visalia airport manager Mario Cifuentes says total operations at the Visalia airport are up around 7% while passenger service through Lakes Airlines saw the best June and July since the service started with flights to LAX and Las Vegas. July saw 410 passengers, he says. Cifuentes says a pilot shortage in the industry is helping to keep Great Lakes from adding a third flight to LA.
In San Luis Obispo passenger numbers were up in June around 5%,the first uptick in months. “That’s because US Airways brought in a larger jet that carries more people in mid-June says Richard Howell,airport manager.”I’m optimistic that with the added seats in the market the upward trend will continue.” US Air connects SLO to Phoenix and eastern destinations. Late word is that July passenger numbers are up 3.4%.