Nov. 20—Wine country travelers stepped into a new, upgraded terminal at the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport this week.
The terminal is a central feature of a $40 million project to modernize the Santa Rosa facility named after the late Peanuts comic strip cartoonist, who lived in the area.
Airport manager Jon Stout said the old design was efficient but lacked gravitas welcoming people to the famed North Coast wine region. The new high-peaked ceiling and tall windows letting in natural light gave a dramatic facelift for the airport, which has long been a hodgepodge of modular structures and the original 1960s building.
"We wanted it to feel like you were coming to Sonoma County," Stout said. "It is the front door to the community."
The airport connects the North Bay with major western cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Phoenix, Portland and Dallas. It's served by Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines, headquartered in Houston. United Airlines ended local service last month.
Construction began in 2019 when the airport had experienced "year-after-year growth" in passenger service and hit a record of 488,000 passengers that year, said Stout. The coronavirus pandemic stalled travel across the globe, but 2022 is projected to reach 600,000 passengers served, he said.
Though United Airlines ended its flights from Santa Rosa to San Francisco and Denver as of Nov. 1, Stout said they are in discussions with American Airlines to expand service to Dallas and have the capacity to grow even more.
With an additional 27,000 square feet, the terminal has new ticketing kiosks, security lines, lounge areas, baggage carousels, outdoor seating and other improvements long-planned for airport, which was first used during World War II as a military training base.
Construction is expected to continue through March with improvements to the entrance vestibule, sidewalks and landscape. Airport travelers will have more choices for food and refreshments. The airport is adding a wine bar and concession stands. The current restaurant is expected to undergo renovations under new management next year, Stout said.
Santa Rosa is also home to the Charles M. Schulz Museum and the Redwood Empire Ice Arena, known as Snoopy's Home Ice, which was developed by Schulz and his first wife, Joyce, in the 1960s.
Julie Johnson (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected]
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