Southwest Airlines is a ‘game changer’ for Fresno business, says mayor. Here’s why
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer hailed Southwest Airlines’ Thursday announcement that it will begin flights to and from Fresno Yosemite International Airport starting in April, saying it’s a pivotal moment for both business and leisure travel for the city and broader San Joaquin Valley.
The airline unveiled its plans early Thursday to launch two nonstop routes starting April 25 – one daily round trip to Denver, Colo., and three trips a day to and from Las Vegas, Nev., with connections for passengers to dozens of other cities.
“Certainly having Southwest Airlines here, that’s a game-changer for us,” Dyer said in a video conference with reporters just a few hours after the airline’s announcement. “People are going to want to come to Fresno, I’m 100% confident of that.”
Dyer said he expects Southwest to be a significant selling point as the city continues its efforts to attract businesses to Fresno.
“I can’t tell you how many of those (corporate and business) people have asked about our airport,” he said. “I never fully understood the importance of the airport in the corporate world, but I do now. People want to have the ability to conveniently fly into a city like Fresno from the East Coast and have the flexibility to do so.”
“Many of those corporates are very much aware of the fact that we’ve been limited in terms of our destinations or the fact that we’re limited on flight options,” Dyer said. Southwest, he added, “opens the door for increased interest in Fresno from an economic development standpoint.”
Fresno’s central location in California and its proximity to major national parks including Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia, as well as local destinations including the Fresno Chaffee Zoo or the Forestiere Underground Gardens and others are also likely to attract travelers to the community, Dyer said.
In addition to a broader array of travel options for passengers in Fresno and across the central San Joaquin Valley, Fresno’s aviation director Kevin Meikle said Southwest will foster competition with existing airlines in the Fresno market to reduce fares.
“It remains to be seen how the airlines react, but I think they’re going to react positively,” Meikle said.
“I think we’re going to see great fares. … Maybe we’ll see some other movement with other airlines that’s going to further enhance the offerings out of our airport.”
Dyer agreed. “I really believe competition always causes other folks in the industry to step up their game,” he said. “I also believe it’s going to cause them to be more competitive.”
Immediate visibility
Visitors to the airport will likely start seeing evidence of Southwest’s coming presence in the terminal within the next few weeks, even though the airline won’t begin flight operations for several months, Meikle said.
The airport is beginning the process of shifting space at at the ticketing counters to make room for Southwest in the middle of the counter; signage could begin appearing on the electronic boards behind the ticket counter soon thereafter.
When operations do begin, Meikle said he expects there will be impetus for concessions and other commercial activity at the airport to increase.
“With concessions, whether it’s the restaurants or the gifts and news, there is absolutely a trickle-down effect,” Meikle said. “What this really means is there’s going to be more passengers flying, so those amenities, even the rental car activity, they’re all going to be bumped up.”
Still undetermined for now, Meikle said, is whether Southwest will bring in its own personnel for ground services such as maintenance, refueling or replenishing food, refreshments and supplies for the Boeing 737 jets it will use in Fresno, or contract with existing companies that offer those services.
Potential and permanence
Dyer and Meikle said they expect the Denver and Las Vegas routes to be only the beginning of the relationship between Fresno and Southwest.
“The presence of Southwest is something that’s been sought for many, many years for our entire community, for our entire Valley,” Meikle said. “We don’t know what’s on their plate, but we do know and fully expect that their presence here will grow.”
Meikle said the city has already had discussions with Southwest about more potential destinations in the future from Fresno, including Hawaii. Dyer added that he knows people who fly to Cabo San Lucas, at the southern tip of Baja California, who would greatly appreciate nonstop flights there rather than having to connect at another airport.
But, Dyer added, that’s going to depend on what he expects is extensive market research by Southwest or other airlines.
When Southwest representatives were visiting Fresno last fall for meetings with local leaders as they contemplated their decision about coming to the airport, Dyer said he expressed concern about the prospect of the company coming in on only a temporary basis.
“I asked the question, ‘Are we simply going to the dance together are are we gonna get married?’” Dyer said. “And their response immediately was, ‘We’re getting married.’ They’re not going anywhere. They’re coming to Fresno to stay and I welcome them as a partner here in Fresno.”
