Ridership on Alaska Airlines flights to Santa Rosa rises in October

Alaska Airlines' Santa Rosa ridership grew 5.6 percent in October, with 18,717 passengers flying to and from Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport.

The Santa Rosa flights averaged 79 percent full last month. Alaska operates five flights a day from Santa Rosa to Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland and Las Vegas.

The flights carried 17,730 travelers in October a year ago.

So far this year, Alaska's Santa Rosa ridership is 173,335, nearly 12 percent ahead of 2010.

The flights are operated by Horizon Air, Alaska's sister carrier. Scheduling, ticketing, pricing and marketing are handled by Alaska. Both airlines are part of Seattle-based Alaska Air Group.

U.S. airlines' operating revenue is up 12.7 percent so far this year, as the travel industry recovers from the recession, according to the Air Transport Association. But airlines are trimming their flight schedules to offset rising costs, including fuel prices, the trade group said.