Good News For Bay Area Travelers: Flights Added To SJ, SFO Airports

Alaska Airlines announced nonstop service will begin between Mineta San Jose International Airport and Eugene, Oregon, according to airport officials. The daily service offering one flight in each direction will launch Nov. 5, officials said.

Eugene and the surrounding area are important destinations for business travelers and students at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, according to airport officials.

“We’re pleased to ease their journey and minimize travel times between our markets,” airport Director of Aviation Kim Becker said in a statement on Tuesday.

Flights will depart from Eugene at 4:20 p.m. and from San Jose at 5:50 p.m. and operate on Alaska’s sister carrier Horizon Air in a 76-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft. The flight is the third new nonstop service announced for the San Jose airport this year, officials said.

And for anyone planning a trip Down Under for the holidays or in the years to come, Australia’s oldest and largest airline will resume nonstop service between San Francisco International Airport and Sydney starting in December, airport officials announced.

Qantas Airways will offer nonstop flights between SFO and Sydney Airport starting on Dec. 20. The airline plans to gradually build up to six flights per week beginning in January 2016. Previously, Qantas had operated flights to and from SFO but ceased its operations there in May 2011.

The return of Qantas to SFO indicates that travel between San Francisco and Sydney is booming, city officials said.

• Also see:
• Spirit To Add 2 Daily Flights From Oakland To LAX
• Delta To Add Nonstop Flights From Oakland To Atlanta

“San Francisco is pleased to welcome the return of Qantas Airways to SFO, a clear sign of economic confidence in our Bay Area region,” San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said in a statement. “The return of Qantas will strengthen the highly regarded sister city relationship between San Francisco and Sydney.”

According to the San Francisco Travel Association, Australian tourism is currently ranked seventh in international inbound markets to San Francisco. In 2014, Australian visitors spent more than $279 million in the city, a rate that is expected to grow this year.

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