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STOCKTON, Calif. — Kevin Williams loves to travel. He arrived in Stockton after flying to Las Vegas. And now he has a new choice to fly United to LAX.
"I think that'll work, that'll work because there will be more airlines here. More choices to do, more places to go," Williams said.
United Express operated by Skywest Airlines will provide service to Stockton Metropolitan Airport starting August 20, 2019. There will be two daily non-stop flights, seven days a week.
"If you ever travel the Altamont Pass to get to San Francisco International to catch a flight, we're trying to ease that congestion to give our travelers an opportunity to have a different location to fly from," said Stockton Metropolitan Airport Director, Russell Stark.
Right now, Stockton Metro only services flights to Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Diego through Allegiant Airlines. But, that will change next summer.
Travelers like Tom Phelps of Lodi are on board. He arrived on a flight to Las Vegas.
"I think it's a great thing to have another airline in here," Phelps said.
Behind the scenes, San Joaquin County supervisors met with United officials to convince them to come to the Port City. They cited how San Francisco International Airport is already crowded with travelers.
By choosing Stockton, United might ease the pain of the crush of fliers.
"One look at a snapshot of our region and they said 'Yes, we want to get into that business. We want to be right here in San Joaquin County,'" said San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti.
Tickets round trip will cost $185. And, they're on sale now. Airport officials say if pre-sales do better than expected, United could be open for business even sooner in Stockton, perhaps in June.
Along with the addition of United, a $7.5 million grant was awarded to the airport by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to extend the taxiway. Improvements will also be made to rebuild the apron where aircraft are parked.
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