SFO, Bay Area airports just lost 400,000 fliers to this California airport

"In this week's air travel developments, Sacramento International Airport's latest passenger numbers show that thousands of local travelers are no longer driving to Bay Area airports as SMF adds more flights and routes; last weekend's winter storm, unofficially named Fern, was a disaster for air travel with one of the highest flight cancellation rates ever, although West Coast airports were largely spared;"

"Passenger growth was supported by expanded airline service, increased seat capacity, and the addition of six new nonstop routes, including transcontinental service and expanded international connectivity to Mexico," the airport said in a statement Monday. "In 2025, SMF also retained 12 percent more travelers who chose Bay Area airports in the past, which totals more than 400,000 travelers who previously drove long distances for air service."

SMF handled a record 13.9 million passengers in 2025, a 2% increase over the previous year. SMF added six nonstop routes and expanded international connectivity, contributing to passenger growth and increased seat capacity. SMF retained 12% more travelers who previously used Bay Area airports, totaling more than 400,000 local travelers. New SMF destinations included Anchorage, Baltimore/Washington, Orlando, Tucson, Puerto Vallarta and Morelia, and the airport posted year-over-year gains for 23 consecutive months. A winter storm unofficially named Fern produced one of the highest flight cancellation rates ever, though West Coast airports were largely spared. Other developments included a federal safety warning about Hollywood Burbank Airport, Delta returning to Airbus for a wide-body order, Oakland losing a low-cost route while LAX gained one, a European budget carrier applying for U.S. rights, American easing award bookings on Aer Lingus, JetBlue ending its JSX loyalty tie-in, and San Jose debuting Touchless ID for PreCheck members.

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