TAKING FLIGHT FROM SAN BERNARDINO
Breeze Airways begins the first commercial passenger service from former air force base
When Valentine Perea needed a flight to San Francisco for the Crunchyroll Expo this weekend, he booked a cheap ticket out of San Bernardino International Airport.
Unbeknown to the 22-year-old until walking through security Thursday, he would be part of history.
The first scheduled commercial flights landed at and departed from San Bernardino International Airport on Thursday in a landmark moment for the former Norton Air Force Base and the Inland Empie as a whole.
“I'm going to take a cookie,” Perea said Thursday while waiting to board. “Some cake, too.”
The San Bernardino airport and Breeze Airways, which in March announced their partnership, spared no expense celebrating the occasion.
Arriving travelers on Flight 603 from San Francisco touched down shortly before noon and received a hero's welcome inside the Leland Norton Terminal. All guests received a goodie bag with various airplane trinkets, as well as sweets.
A DJ spun Europe's “The Final Countdown” and other songs befitting of the moment.
Dozens of local dignitaries partook in the festivities.
Sergio Rosales, a 29-yearold from Provo, Utah, booked seats for him and his wife on the inaugural flight out of the Beehive State into San Francisco, then into San Bernardino.
The two plan to spend the weekend in Big Bear with family.
Rosales, one of the first through Gate 3 on Thursday, commended the Breeze flight staff and overall experience.
“A real nice, easy flight,” he said.
Less than two hours later, departing Flight 602 set out for the Bay Area.
“This is a big boon for the community,” San Bernardino Mayor John Valdivia, who bought four tickets for the inaugural departing flight for him and his family, said before takeoff.
Currently, many residents in the San Bernardino Valley must make their way to Palm Springs International Airport or to Ontario International Airport for their air travel needs.
Colton Mayor Frank Navarro, president of the San Bernardino International Airport Authority, welcomed all those in the area who want a more convenient option.
“This is a dream and a vision and a plan coming to fruition,” he said Thursday. “This is a day where the airport is open to the communities of San Bernardino, Redlands, Highland, Loma Linda, Colton, Rialto, Fontana, Yucaipa, giving them another option to travel. Convenient. In your backyard. In your neighborhood.
“You can take Breeze to San Francisco, then the world is open to you.”
SBIAA officials have been working for years to bring commercial passenger service to the airport.
Though flights between San Bernardino and Mexico were slated for summer 2017, those plans never took off.
Breeze, however, could not be a better fit for the airport, said Michael Burrows, executive director of the airport authority.
“As others see how Breeze works at SBD,” he said, “hopefully they'll come join us as well. That's what this whole thing is about. Convenient, cost-effective but friendly travel options for this community that's waited so long to have air service.”
Thursday, Burrows, one of many local officials and leaders to fly on the inaugural departing flight, reflected on the moves and decisions made by airport authority board members to make such a milestone possible.
“This is the Leland Norton Terminal, and every stick and stone and bone of it has been built and rebuilt and preserved for this day,” he said. “It's really special for me. I've seen every seismic retrofit, every rebuild. Now, years later seeing everything come together, the TSA team, our team, the operations team, everybody working in one direction to make this happen. It's just exciting.”
With floor-to-ceiling windows and a cafe, the terminal seats hundreds and has four gates. Those awaiting flights have a picturesque view of the San Bernardino Mountains as well as arriving cargo flights taxiing around the airfield.
Daily flights begin in Provo and land in San Francisco about 10:10 a.m. The same aircraft lands in San Bernardino about 90 minutes later. Departing flights leave San Bernardino about 1:55 p.m. and stop in San Francisco before heading to Provo.
It is unclear whether Breeze will add other destinations out of San Bernardino. Airport officials have said they want to see how these first flights to San Francisco do before discussing possible additions.
“I'm superexcited to see the response we get from the community,” said Mark Gibbs, the airport's aviation director and another traveler on maiden Flight 602. “It has been a warm welcome to Breeze and we're excited to see these planes start to fill up.”