Fresno-Yosemite International Airport sets passenger record. Here’s where they were going
Almost 2 million passengers traveled to and from Fresno Yosemite International Airport in 2019, a record for annual airline passenger volume through the airport.
Airport officials said the 984,904 passengers who flew on departing flights last year represented growth of about 11.7% over 2018 levels. Passenger arrivals at Fresno Yosemite International amounted to 979,515, about 9.4% more than 2018.
The bulk of the passengers flying from Fresno were on flights to other cities in the U.S. but about 13% of passengers were aboard international flights to Guadalajara and other cities in Mexico served by Volaris and Aeromexico. The two airlines collectively hauled more than 131,000 passengers on their flights from Fresno in 2019.
“With more travelers using Fresno Yosemite International Airport as their airport of choice, our airline partners continue to meet this demand by expanding flight schedules, transitioning to larger aircraft, and adding service to new destinations,” said Kevin Meikle, director of aviation for the city of Fresno. “Strong passenger activity is an important part in growing air service for our region and sustains FAT as a major engine of economic development and job creation.”
“FAT” is the Federal Aviation Administration’s airport code for the airport, which was known as Fresno Air Terminal until the name was changed by a 1996 vote of the Fresno City Council.
The total passenger volume of 1.96 million was about 11% more than the previous record set in 2018, when about 1.77 million passengers either came or went through the airport.
Data from the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics indicate that between November 2018 and October 2019, Los Angeles was the most frequent destination for passengers flying from Fresno, whether for business or pleasure in that city or to make connections to other destinations in the U.S. or around the world. Airlines carried almost 125,000 people from Fresno to Los Angeles during that 12-month span.
Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, San Diego and Portland, Oregon, rounded out the top 10 domestic destinations for passengers flying from Fresno.
The number of flights offered by airlines from Fresno to other U.S. cities has grown each year since 2015, according to federal transportation data. In 2015, airlines reached a decade-low number of fewer than 11,000 takeoffs from Fresno.
Mexico’s Volaris and Aeromexico have also increased their international service to and from the city.
Still, it’s well below the numbers of flights in the mid- to late 2000s, when domestic airlines averaged about 16,200 flights each year. Airlines can carry more passengers on fewer flights as they convert their fleets to larger and more efficient jet aircraft. The last turboprop flight by an airline for scheduled service in Fresno was in 2015.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 3:06 PM.
