If Shasta EDC President, Todd Jones, and City of Redding Airport Manager, Jim Wadleigh, keep up their current rate of success in landing additional air service out of Redding Municipal Airport (RDD), there may be a real need for a terminal expansion in the not too distant future.
It has been remarkable to see the progress made in landing new destinations and airlines in the midst of what has been the most difficult time for commercial airlines in our nation’s history.
You may have heard the thundering jet engines of the 737 that startup Avelo Airlines is flying in and out of Redding to Hollywood/Burbank three days each week. Marketed as an ultra low fare airline for recreational travel, early adopters are taking advantage of $19 introductory fares each way. From Avelo’s Southern California hub, the traveler can choose from many tourist destinations, including Bozeman, MT (Yellowstone), Bend, OR, and Redding, CA (among others).
Alaska Airlines
is going to once again serve Shasta County with a daily direct flight to Seattle (SEA/TAC) beginning on June 18th. Fares start as low as $95.
is going to once again serve Shasta County with a daily direct flight to Seattle (SEA/TAC) beginning on June 18th. Fares start as low as $95.United Airlines continues three daily flights to San Francisco (SFO) and one daily flight to Los Angeles (LAX).
For years, at the top of the wishlist has been securing a daily eastbound flight to a major airport. Working to make it a reality, the City of Redding has applied for a grant that could bring a direct flight to Denver, CO from RDD. The funding would serve as a revenue guarantee for the airline serving this route. The City will find out whether or not the grant will be awarded this summer. If successful, service to Denver could begin in 2022.
All of this new air service means that we in the business community need to do our part to “fly Redding”. This is a “use it or lose it” proposition. I encourage you to sit down and do the math regarding cost to your business in terms of budget and time to choose the convenience of Redding over the 4+ hours driving to and from Sacramento. I have gone through this exercise and found more often than not it pencils out to fly out of Redding.I admit that the idea of more large cities having direct flights into our city is very exciting as the Chamber takes on destination marketing services for Redding in July. As the saying goes, “if you build it, they will come”.
The advice going forward is to plan accordingly for a busier experience at Redding Municipal. Fly Local. Fly Redding.
Jake Mangas
President & CEO
