Sonoma County airport traffic rises in October, closer to pre-pandemic height

With today’s news that California has the first case in the U.S. of the omicron COVID-19 variant casting a shadow of uncertainly over the future, passenger traffic at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport continues to increase, according to the airport’s latest figures.

Through October, the Santa Rosa facility has flown 340,000 passengers, and is projected to finish the year having flown between 410,000 and 420,000 passengers — closer to the facility’s all-time high of 488,000 passengers in 2019, and a notable comeback from the COVID-19-induced dismal figure of 195,303 in 2020, according to Airport Manager Jon Stout.

“We’re very happy with the numbers that we're estimating for the year, given how the world has struggled with the impacts of COVID,” said Stout, adding the airport has been doing better in its recovery this year than other airports in the country — large and small — because of its tourism-friendly location in Wine Country that offers many outdoor activities.

Looking at overall passenger volume for October, the four commercial carriers serving the airport — Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Avelo Airlines and United Airlines — collectively flew 56,477 passengers through the Sonoma County facility, up 196.9% from a year earlier, according to the airport’s latest figures. In September, the airport recorded 49,951 commercial airline passengers.

Stout noted the airport is still waiting for a full rebound of business travelers, though some have returned this year.

American Airlines, which on Nov. 2 paused its Dallas flight as part of its annual seasonal break, last month reported a return date of Feb. 17. That date has been pushed to March 3, Stout said.

The change, however, is not surprising.

“They’re still fine-tuning the spring schedule, so there's still a chance for (more) changes,” he said. “They're figuring out what's going on with the new variant and new restrictions, if any.”

Authorities Wednesday reported the variant was discovered in a traveler who returned Nov. 22 from South Africa to San Francisco.

American in October flew 9,687 passengers through the Santa Rosa airport, up 77.9% from the year prior. The carrier’s load factor was 85%, up from 52% in September 2020. The impact of the Dallas flight suspension will be seen in the airport’s December figures.

Alaska Airlines, the regional facility’s largest commercial carrier, flew 35,147 passengers in October, up 174.3% from a year earlier. The airline’s load factor — the measure of how full airplanes are on average — was 76%, compared with 46% in October 2020.

United Airlines so far is sticking with its March 27 date to resume service to Denver, Stout said. The airline for the month flew 2,420 passengers, up 217.6% from October 2020. Its load factor was 78%.

Burbank-based Avelo Airlines flew 9,223 passengers in October, with a load factor of 56%.

How the four airlines perform in the coming months remains to be seen — an unpredictability that Stout has become accustomed to.

“We're starting to watch how the new variant will impact things and what health officers are going to recommend,” he said. “That may impact us, so we’re not through it yet.”