Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
What's Needed to Grow Southwest's Air Service in Fresno?
TLBBHMAP3-U010ALB5ANM-348f959abae2-512-300x300-1
By Jim Jakobs, Digital Producer
Published 4 years ago on
April 26, 2021

Share

The inaugural Southwest Airlines flights out of Fresno Yosemite International Airport officially launched on Sunday. But, now that the balloons, cookies, pomp, and circumstance have subsided, what’s next?

“As far as the future, if the customers choose to fly us, then we will continue to grow and prosper here in Fresno.” – Adam Decaire, vice president network planning, Southwest Airlines

“As far as the future, if the customers choose to fly us, then we will continue to grow and prosper here in Fresno,” Adam Decaire, the airline’s vice president for network planning, told GVWire.

“We’re currently connecting our nonstop flights (from Fresno) to Las Vegas that we fly three times a day. Denver once a day. (That gives travelers) access to over 50 destinations that we serve through connections via those points.”

A good example of the potential routes is just up the road in Sacramento. The company’s nonstop flight from Sacramento International Airport to Honolulu officially began service on Nov. 10. Southwest had served Sacramento for many years prior to that expansion.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Southwest is recalling over 2,700 flight attendants from leave to support its summer schedule, ending a voluntary furlough program introduced because of the pandemic.  The low-cost airline said it had also recalled 209 pilots (and an additional 382 on April 15) from a similar voluntary leave program. Both recalls take effect on June 1.

Southwest Airlines posted a map of all the recently added new destinations in their portfolio. (southwest.com)

Southwest Is Part of the Fresno Community Now

Decaire says even before the big Sunday festivities surrounding the airline’s foray into Fresno, he and other Southwest Airlines employees took part in one of Mayor Jerry Dyer’s trash cleanup events on Saturday.

“We’re part of the community now. We have our employees here,” said Decaire. “We were part of the ‘Beautify Fresno’. We were planting trees.”

He says Fresno has been on Southwest Airline’s radar for quite a long time.

“We’ve always wanted to get the opportunity to serve Fresno and now’s a great time,” says Decaire. “The community really showed up very well and it was a great time to be able to start service here.”

Fresno leaders get ready to cut the ribbon on Southwest Airlines’ service on Sunday, April 25, 2021. (GV Wire/Jamie Ouverson
[activecampaign form=25]

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Will California Meet Newsom’s 2035 EV Deadline? It Won’t Even Hit the 2026 Target 

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Putin May Not Want Peace and May Need to Be ‘Dealt With Differently’

DON'T MISS

Is It Bad to Chew Gum All Day?

DON'T MISS

Dollar Doubts Dominate Gathering of Global Economic Leaders

DON'T MISS

US Judge Temporarily Stops West Texas Immigrant Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act

DON'T MISS

Shedeur Sanders’ Long Wait Ends When Browns Take Him in the 5th Round of the NFL Draft

DON'T MISS

Only About Half of Republicans Say Trump Has Focused on the Right Priorities

DON'T MISS

ICE Deports the Mother of an Infant and a 2-Year-Old Who Is a US Citizen

DON'T MISS

Israeli Airstrike Kills 10 People, Half of Them Children

DON'T MISS

Shedeur Sanders Is Still Waiting for a Call as the NFL Draft Enters the Final Day

UP NEXT

Only About Half of Republicans Say Trump Has Focused on the Right Priorities

UP NEXT

Israeli Airstrike Kills 10 People, Half of Them Children

UP NEXT

Shedeur Sanders Is Still Waiting for a Call as the NFL Draft Enters the Final Day

UP NEXT

Israel’s AI Experiments in the War in Gaza Raise Ethical Concerns

UP NEXT

Paul Skenes Strikes Out 9, Wins Duel With Yamamoto in Pirates’ Victory Over Dodgers

UP NEXT

Eovaldi Outlasts Verlander as Rangers Beat Giants

UP NEXT

Rams Take Oregon Tight End Terrance Ferguson in Second Round After Trading Out of First

UP NEXT

The Latest: Francis Is Remembered as a ‘Pope Among the People’ as He Is Laid to Rest

UP NEXT

Trump Now Doubts Putin Wants to End Ukraine War, a Day After Saying a Deal Was Close

UP NEXT

Fresno Elderly Woman Evicted, Forced to Leave Dogs Behind. One Still Needs a Home.

Dollar Doubts Dominate Gathering of Global Economic Leaders

16 hours ago

US Judge Temporarily Stops West Texas Immigrant Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act

17 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders’ Long Wait Ends When Browns Take Him in the 5th Round of the NFL Draft

17 hours ago

Only About Half of Republicans Say Trump Has Focused on the Right Priorities

20 hours ago

ICE Deports the Mother of an Infant and a 2-Year-Old Who Is a US Citizen

20 hours ago

Israeli Airstrike Kills 10 People, Half of Them Children

20 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders Is Still Waiting for a Call as the NFL Draft Enters the Final Day

21 hours ago

Israel’s AI Experiments in the War in Gaza Raise Ethical Concerns

21 hours ago

Paul Skenes Strikes Out 9, Wins Duel With Yamamoto in Pirates’ Victory Over Dodgers

21 hours ago

Eovaldi Outlasts Verlander as Rangers Beat Giants

21 hours ago

Will California Meet Newsom’s 2035 EV Deadline? It Won’t Even Hit the 2026 Target 

It was with brash confidence that Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that by 2035, the only new cars and light trucks sold in California would be e...

31 minutes ago

31 minutes ago

Will California Meet Newsom’s 2035 EV Deadline? It Won’t Even Hit the 2026 Target 

16 hours ago

Trump Says Putin May Not Want Peace and May Need to Be ‘Dealt With Differently’

16 hours ago

Is It Bad to Chew Gum All Day?

16 hours ago

Dollar Doubts Dominate Gathering of Global Economic Leaders

17 hours ago

US Judge Temporarily Stops West Texas Immigrant Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act

17 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders’ Long Wait Ends When Browns Take Him in the 5th Round of the NFL Draft

20 hours ago

Only About Half of Republicans Say Trump Has Focused on the Right Priorities

20 hours ago

ICE Deports the Mother of an Infant and a 2-Year-Old Who Is a US Citizen

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend