TRI-CITIES, Wash. – The Tri-Cities Airport celebrated a new direct flight to Santa Ana, California (SNA) from Pasco (PSC) today. This addition makes travel to Disneyland and other Southern California landmarks more accessible for local residents.
Airport Director Buck Taft highlighted the significance of expanding connections to the Los Angeles basin, a strong market for the community. “The LA basin has been one of our strongest markets throughout the years, and this just adds to that market,” Taft said. “We’re going to have weekly [flights to] Orange County, which is the closest airport to Disney. So it’s going to be great for a lot of families.”
The new flight reflects the continued growth of the Tri-Cities area. Taft emphasized that their expansion is closely tied to community growth. “We’re just a lagging indicator of our community. So as our community continues to grow, and the more people that choose to fly out of this airport, it’s going to continue to grow,” Taft said.
There are plans to add more direct routes when conditions are favorable for partnering airlines. Direct flights to Portland are expected later this summer, with the airport director advocating for routes to cities like Dallas, Chicago and San Diego.
Taft noted that increasing passenger numbers at PSC is crucial for adding new destinations. “We still lose 40% of our passengers to SeaTac. So the more people, if you think those 40% flew out of the Tri-Cities, we would have about eight more destinations because that’s the amount of traffic we would have,” they said.
For now, those planning trips to Disneyland or other destinations south of Los Angeles have a convenient new option from the Tri-Cities.
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