Fresno airport expects record passengers this summer. Here’s what it means for travelers
Fresno Yosemite International Airport is expecting flights to be at or near capacity through the summer and into Labor Day weekend in September.
In a statement Thursday, the airport said it has now fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Last summer, it exceed its 2019 passenger numbers and expected to match, or exceed those numbers on some days, over the next three months.
The news came with a warning for passengers.
“Travelers are encouraged to arrive early and to check with their airline for any requirements to ensure seamless travels,” the airport said in a statement. “Fewer options may be available to accommodate rebooking if flights are missed.”
More flights, destinations
Any increase in passenger levels is at least partly due to several airlines that have expanded their flight schedules and/destinations since last year.
That includes ExpressJet Airlines’ aha! brand, which began weekly service to Reno-Lake Tahoe in November. It currently operates twice weekly trips between Fresno and Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
Other airlines expanding offerings this summer include United Airlines, which will resume seasonal daily service with two flights between Fresno and Chicago on a mainline aircraft (read, bigger) starting June 3.
At the same time, Aeromexico will have flights to Guadalajara six days a week from June 14 to Aug. 31, with twice daily service on Tuesdays.
Southwest, which currently runs three daily flights to Las Vegas, is adding a fourth flight to its schedule July 5 and running Sunday to Friday through Sept. 5.
In June, United Airlines will increase its seat capacity to the Denver market with three daily flights (it currently offers two). It will also transition to a larger mainline aircraft on two of those three flights.
American Airlines will add a fourth daily flight to Dallas-Fort Worth beginning June 3. It will run a fifth flight daily for the month of August.
TSA security screening
To keep up with the potential traffic, the airport is also reminding travelers about possible hold-ups going through TSA checkpoints.
The TSA suggests travelers start packing with an empty bag, or double check to make sure the bags are free of prohibited items before they start packing. A list of prohibited items can be found on the “What Can I Bring?” page of the TSA website.
