Air traffic important to region
Commercial and general aviation are thriving in Central Oregon, despite a temporary slowdown due to the economy. The Bend area's growth is due in no small measure to the quality of transportation services available. Commercial airline service is essential for business and pleasure travelers. Horizon Air, United Express, Delta Connection and Allegiant Air serve Central Oregon via Roberts Field, the Redmond municipal airport. United Express and Delta Connection are operated by SkyWest Airlines.These carriers offer some 46 arriving and departing flights daily to and from Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Denver, and twice a week to Las Vegas and Phoenix. Boardings in 2008 set an annual record, one in a series, despite a decline in the number of passengers in the final half of the year. At 247,392, the figure was about a half percent above 2007. Boardings have exceeded 200,000 for each of the past three years. Through July 2009, boardings were trailing 2008 and 2007 but were ahead of 2006, the best year to that point.
Carriers continue to improve service. United Express kicked up its partial-year schedule to Denver (available through Oct. 24) to daily trips this year, up from weekends the three years before. The carrier also has paced 50-seat Bombardier regional jets in service on the San Francisco run, replacing 30-seat propjets.
Why is Central Oregon’s commercial airport in Redmond instead of Bend? Roberts Field, 15 miles north of Bend, originated as a World War II training base and thus has two runways over 7,000 ft long. The passenger terminal is undergoing a $40 million expansion, due for completion by the end of 2009, providing space for additional gates, boarding areas, baggage handling and ticket counters. The parking lot has recently been doubled in size. A rendering of the new terminal is shown at the top of this page.
Roberts Field also serves air cargo and general aviation traffic, including two fixed base operators and fixed-wing and helicopter charter services. The airfield is home to the U.S. Forest Service Air Center and its fleet of smoke jumper and tanker aircraft, and to a pioneer manufacturer of high-performance kit planes. Ground transportation to the airport is available by taxi, shuttle, town car and limo services, and by resort and hotel shuttles. Four major car rental agencies have counters in the terminal.
Bend’s municipal airport, five miles northeast of the city, is a comprehensive general aviation facility that is home to two aircraft manufacturers and several aircraft-related businesses. The airport supports one fixed base operator and several charter services, one of which includes a business jet in its fleet. A new $10 million, 5,500-ft runway has recently been completed, replacing an older, parallel strip. The relocated runway supports larger and heavier aircraft, facilitating an expected increase in private jet traffic. New hangar and terminal facilities are in the offing.
Prineville and Madras municipal airports also have completed improvements to add hangar space and improve general aircraft terminal facilities. Both have runways exceeding 5,000 ft. The airport at Sunriver Resort serves both transient and locally-based aircraft.
All airport operators in Central Oregon are gearing up for increased air traffic driven by growing business and executive travel, by the growth of destination resorts, and by special events ranging from major golf tournaments to presidential visits. The number of jet aircraft using local airports is growing.
Bend, Redmond, Sunriver, Prineville, Madras and Sisters airports are home base to 564 aircraft, including 56 multi-engine planes, 10 jets and 15 helicopters. They record an average of about 381 flights per day.
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