Bakersfield, Calif (KBAK/KBFX) — Director of Kern County Airports Mark Wistoe didn’t understand why the possibility of adding a flight to Seattle was so interesting.
Wistoe said over the phone Friday,
We are always looking at new flights and providers.
He said Seattle may be a possibility, but a proposal to the county is not even remotely ready.
Airports conduct leakage studies to see where people are flying to and from. Wistoe said people are flying to Seattle, but they are flying out of Fresno and LA, which may present an opportunity for Meadows Field.
In a few weeks, Wistoe plans to present data and findings of how the flight to Dallas has performed over the last year, and it has done fairly well.
Wistoe released this statement to the county:
“Meadows Field Airport has identified service to Seattle as the most advantageous destination to increase air service since the introduction of flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW) that started in March 2019. Development of a proposal is underway with meetings scheduled with prospective carriers in June. The DFW service has increased to two daily flights which has substantially contributed to the 20% increase in overall passengers in 2019. The Airport believes that daily service to Seattle can be profitably initiated into our community providing business connections and recreational travel opportunities to the Pacific Northwest and to the over 100 destinations beyond Sea-Tac.”
In June representatives from Medows Field will attend Jump Start, an air service development conference Wistoe described as speed dating for airports and airlines.
