Bakersfield, Calif (KBAK/KBFX) — Meadows field is a humble airport, but the success of the first non-stop flight to Dallas could make it more attractive to airlines looking to expand.
Monday American Airlines announced it’s adding a second non-stop flight from Meadows Field Airport to the Dallas-Fort Worth hub in Texas.
Bakersfield was one of several cities to receive a non-stop flight to Dallas earlier this year, Megan Person, director of countywide communications for Kern County, said we were the first we receive a second flight.
“They added the first flight to Dallas earlier this year and because that flight has been so incredibly successful, they’ve decided that in January of 2020 they’ll add an additional routine flight to Dallas that happens about midday,” Person said.
The airline received a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation that funded the first flight to Dallas beginning in March 2019. Since then the flight from Meadows Field has been unexpectedly successful. Person said the flight is full almost every day.
Bakersfield travelers are using the flight as just the first leg of their trips. Then they’re flying to other domestic cities and even internationally, which Meadows Field Airport could become next on the list of expansion cities for other airlines.
“That’s a result of residents using that instead of driving to Fresno, LAX or Burbank. So, we really want to thank the community for using the airport because that’s what gives us the opportunity to add additional flights,” Person said.
Original Story: https://bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/meadows-field-could-become-more-attractive-to-other-airlines