SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — With a population of more than two million people San Bernardino Airport Director Mark Gibbs has always wondered why airlines have not provided more service for one of the largest counties in the United States.
When residents want to hop aboard a plane to a destination like Las Vegas, they must go to the Ontario International Airport, John Wayne Airport, or the Los Angeles International Airport.
Gibbs said the Inland Empire has been underserved compared to other large metro areas nationwide with airports.
"We need more seats to serve our residents properly," he said. "There's a lot of travel needs out there."
The "new" San Bernardino International Airport looks to fill that void and cater to the millions of residents with travel needs in San Bernardino.
Located 60 miles east of Los Angeles, the San Bernardino International Airport is the former Norton Air Force Base, which opened in 1941 during World War II.
The military oversaw the airport until 1994, when the base closed and began its transformation as a regional airport for commercial use.
Since then, the Inland Valley Development Agency and the San Bernardino International Airport Authority have been redeveloping the infrastructure and facilities of the former military air base.
Gibbs said over the years, more than $250 million to $300 million had been poured into capital improvement work converting the former air force base, replacing runways, taxiways, new ramps, hangars, fuel farms, and building a domestic, international, and executive terminal.
In 2014, the airport began luring aviation customers. The airport saw big growth in corporate use and as a cargo hub for FedEx and Amazon.
Now, the airport wants to cater to the passenger service market.
Since launching in August with Breeze Airways, more than 20,000 passengers have flown in and out of the SBD ending in 2022. Breeze initially launched on Aug. 4 with daily nonstop service to San Francisco International Airport and, later, Provo, Utah.
“We, as a ‘new’ airport, are already seeing planes are 70% full after the third month of operating,” said Gibbs.
Breeze has expanded its service at SBD. Last week, the Utah-based airline began new flights to Las Vegas and Hartford, Connecticut, connecting residents in the Inland Empire with ‘Sin City’ and the East Coast.
Gibbs said, where else can you park your car for $5 a day, hop on a plane, and fly to Las Vegas?
“We have a beautiful terminal building, a brand new concourse, solar in the parking lot, and inexpensive,” he said. “We are one of the best deals in town.”
Gibbs said the San Bernardino International Airport has the potential to grow as a small, regional airport similar to Burbank and Long Beach.
The San Bernardino International Airport, he said, could meet the growing travel demands of residents in the Inland Empire with convenient and inexpensive service.
So far, given Breeze’s success at the airport since debuting in August, it’s working.
“It’s resonating with customers, and it’s been fantastic,” he said.