Regional operations at LAX are managed primarily by SkyWest Airlines on behalf of major carriers and add around 3,000 flights monthly. Southwest Airlines also maintains a significant presence with approximately 2,622 departures in September focused on its domestic network. Other US airlines like JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Frontier and Spirit have sizable operations at LAX too.
Foreign carriers play an important role at LAX; Air Canada leads these airlines with about 340 departures this month while Lufthansa, British Airways and others provide multiple daily services.
San Francisco International Airport is California’s second-busiest airport and acts as a primary gateway for Northern California. SFO handled more than 26 million passengers in the first half of the year across more than fifty airlines operating there. United dominates SFO with about a forty-five percent market share; it is also United’s main transpacific hub on the West Coast. This month United has over six thousand mainline flights scheduled plus more than sixteen hundred regional departures.
Alaska Airlines operates both mainline and regional services through SkyWest at SFO while Delta connects San Francisco to major cities across the country including Atlanta and New York-JFK with over one thousand flights this month. American links SFO to Dallas/Fort Worth among other cities via nearly one thousand flights in September.
International service at SFO includes Air Canada leading foreign carriers with two hundred thirty-one scheduled departures along with Aeromexico, Hawaiian Airlines and several Asian flag carriers offering regular long-haul routes.
San Diego International Airport ranks third among California airports for passenger volume—and is recognized as the nation’s busiest single-runway airport. After a steep decline during the pandemic when only about five million travelers passed through SAN in all of 2020—a third of pre-pandemic numbers—the airport rebounded quickly reaching seven point two million travelers in 2021 before continuing its growth trajectory into subsequent years.
In early 2025 SAN welcomed nearly twelve million passengers—a twenty-three percent increase compared to last year’s period—with Southwest Airlines leading operations via almost three thousand monthly departures connecting key US cities such as Las Vegas or Denver multiple times per day; Alaska follows closely behind focusing on Seattle or Portland routes among others while United schedules eight hundred eighty-six mainline flights alongside regional services provided by SkyWest for Alaska Airlines’ network expansion.
Delta Air Lines’ presence exceeds seven hundred monthly flights alongside similar figures from American Airlines while international operations remain smaller but growing: British Airways plans fifty-five September flights; Air Canada plus Japan Airlines provide daily connections further expanding global reach out of San Diego.
Sacramento International Airport (SMF) continues its development since opening in nineteen sixty-seven now served by twelve airlines including all major US carriers plus Air Canada—the only foreign airline currently operating there—with fourteen direct international connections supported by Jazz Aviation adding sixty additional regional services under their banner this month alone.
Southwest holds more than half SMF's market share offering frequent service especially between Sacramento-San Diego or Sacramento-Las Vegas routes each seeing up to ten or twelve daily frequencies respectively.
A $1.3 billion expansion program called SMForward launched last year aims for terminal expansions new gates improved access infrastructure culminating between fall twenty-twenty-six through winter twenty-twenty-seven.
A replacement air traffic control tower will be constructed starting twenty-twenty-six funded entirely by federal grants replacing one of America’s oldest operational towers built originally when SMF opened [source](https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article279393429.html).
San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) serves as Silicon Valley's primary air gateway welcoming five point two million travelers so far this year mostly domestic fliers—ZIPAIR Tokyo offers its only intercontinental route connecting Narita directly via twenty-one planned September departures.
Southwest dominates local market share accounting for almost fifty-seven percent traffic followed distantly by SkyWest Spirit Alaska Delta United & American maintaining steady presences throughout SJC's four-thousand-plus monthly flight schedule [source](https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/16/san-jose-airport-passenger-growth-international-flights/).
John Wayne Airport (SNA) located centrally within Orange County provides alternatives beyond larger Los Angeles facilities scheduling nearly four thousand September departures led again by Southwest linking southern Californian cities frequently along with strong showings from American Delta & United each exceeding five hundred monthly operations; international travel remains limited mainly represented through thirty Vancouver-bound Air Canada flights [source](https://www.ocregister.com/2024/06/01/john-wayne-airport-flight-schedule-expands-for-summer-travel-season/).
Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) recently rebranded handles just over three thousand scheduled September takeoffs dominated largely domestically though Mexican destinations Guadalajara Monterrey plus Salvadoran capital San Salvador maintain modest international links courtesy VivaAerobus Volaris El Salvador operators [source](https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/04/28/oakland-airport-rebrand-international-flights-growth-plans/).
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