San Bernardino International Airport on Thursday welcomed its first commercial passenger flights, an event years in the making.
Breeze Airways began daily nonstop flights between San Bernardino International and San Francisco International airports, along with same-plane service from San Francisco to Utah’s Provo Airport, according to a statement.
The first flight from the Bay Area landed shortly before noon at Leland Norton Terminal, where passengers were met by airline officials and local dignitaries, according to reports.
Announced in March, the flights are expected to pump nearly $60 million a year into the Inland region’s economy, San Bernardino Mayor John Valdivia said in a statement last spring.
Originally, San Bernardino International – the former Norton Air Force Base – had hoped to start commercial flights to Mexico in 2017, but those plans were dropped.
Breeze Airways is based in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. The low-fare airline began operating in May 2021, specializing in underserved domestics routes, according to the company’s website.