Fresno Yosemite International in California is, as its name suggests, well-positioned to serve national parks. An interesting variety of airlines flies there, attracting visitors from both within the US and beyond its borders. Let's take a closer look at the nature of these, and where you can get to from Fresno with such carriers.

Domestic

Most flights serving Fresno are of a domestic nature. Passengers from all over the US flock to the area to visit the national parks that are within reach of the airport. Yosemite, which also features in the airport's full name, is just 95 miles (153 km) away by road, with Sequoia and King's Canyon closer at around 85 miles (137 km).

Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, American, Frontier, Southwest, and United all operate mainline services to Fresno. Regional carriers American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express also fly to the airport. The busiest routes from February 2021 to January 2022 served Dallas-Fort Worth (American Airlines), Las Vegas (Allegiant and Southwest Airlines) Denver (Frontier, Southwest, and United).

Fresno is also home to a small cargo network, with Ameriflight, FedEx and UPS all present. Ameriflight only serves other Californian destinations (Burbank, Santa Maria, and Ontario), while FedEx and UPS have a wider domestic reach.

Fresno Airport
Fresno's terminal houses a replica Sequoia forest. Photo: prayitnophotography via Flickr

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International

While domestic routes are Fresno's bread and butter, the airport also serves a small but important international market. This sees the facility (and indeed the region) connected with neighboring Mexico thanks to a handful of international departures. Mexican flag carrier Aeroméxico operates one such route out of Fresno, serving Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport (GDL).

Meanwhile, Volaris has a greater share when it comes to Fresno's international market. In addition to Guadalajara, it also flies to León/El Bajío, Mexico City, and Morelia from the Californian national park gateway.

KFAT_AERIAL_2021
Fresno Yosemite International from the air. Photo: Platinummedia via Wikimedia Commons

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A new arrival

Up to this point, there is one airline that we have failed to mention, with the carrier in question having only recently commenced its services to Fresno. As of November 2021, the airport has had a direct link to Reno–Tahoe International (RNO) in Nevada. This has come about thanks to the recently established presence of aha!, a brand used by regional carrier ExpressJet.

This airline ha a leisure-based emphasis, and, as of July this year, will serve 10 destinations from its Reno base. With this in mind, its name stands for 'air-hotel-adventure.' Fresno is one of four Californian destinations that it serves using 50-seat Embraer ERJ145 jets. The others are Bakersfield, Ontario, and Palm Springs, with Santa Rosa set to become the fifth of its kind in two months' time.

Have you ever visited Fresno Yosemite International Airport? If so, which airline did you fly with? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!