Alaska Airlines has launched a new service between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and San Diego International Airport, marking the first time in over 20 years that four carriers are operating on this route. The airline began its three-times-daily flights on August 20, using mainline aircraft.
According to data from the US Department of Transportation for April 2024 to March 2025, an average of 1,977 daily round-trip local passengers traveled between Phoenix and San Diego. These figures represent passengers flying directly between the two airports without connecting to other destinations.
The last time four airlines operated this route was in 2003. Over the past two decades, only two airlines typically served the market at any given time, with US Airways and Southwest leading previously, followed by American and Southwest. Frontier joined in 2019 and continues alongside American and Southwest. Alaska Airlines is now part of this group as it expands its presence from San Diego.