Sacramento International Airport Closes Record Breaking Year with Renovations and New Flights, Carriers and Retail

2019 was a big year for Sacramento International Airport. The airport served over 13 million passengers, one million more than in 2018, launched 10 new nonstop flights on eight routes, added four new carriers, opened 15 new retail shops and concessionaires, including two common use lounges and made major improvements that will make it even easier to fly SMF in the new year.

“We are celebrating a record setting year and are looking forward to continued growth in 2020,” stated Cindy Nichol, Sacramento County Department of Airports director. “Our focus is on the passenger experience and these improvements and additions to the airport will not only make air travel more efficient but also make time at the airport more fun and exciting for travelers.”

Four new carriers landed at SMF. In June of last year, Spirit Airlines added daily, year-round nonstop service between Sacramento and Las Vegas, joining Frontier and Southwest in servicing the city and providing easy connections to Midwest and East Coast destinations. Contour Airlines added a nonstop flight to Santa Barbara in the spring, which was so successful another daily flight was added. The airline kicked off seasonal direct flights to Palm Springs in September – which has become a popular route for Contour’s portfolio. Sun Country now connects Sacramento to Minneapolis and Boutique Air launched daily service to Merced.

In addition to new carriers, SMF now has several new routes on existing carriers. Southwest Airlines added a highly anticipated flight to Honolulu in November and will be adding a flight to Maui in March. The Honolulu flight is the fifth nonstop flight to Hawaii from SMF, including existing routes on Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines.