Monterey Regional Airport

Monterey Regional Airport is located approximately three miles (5 km) southeast of Monterey, California, USA. It was established in 1936 and was referred to as the Monterey Peninsula Airport until the board of directors renamed it in 2011.

Monterey Regional Airport

Monterey Regional Airport is located approximately three miles (5 km) southeast of Monterey, California, USA. It was established in 1936 and was referred to as the Monterey Peninsula Airport until the board of directors renamed it in 2011.

The facility is owned by the municipalities that make up the Monterey Peninsula Airport District. A public facility represents a five-member board of directors that is publicly elected.

The property has its beginnings with flights from the polo field of the Hotel Del Monte in 1910. In 1941 regional communities formed the Monterey Peninsula Airport District and obtained estate to build MRY. World War II interrupted, and the U.S. Navy had to lease the property, opening Naval Auxiliary Air Station Monterey in 1943. The Navy remained at MRY until 1972.

Golden Gate Airlines

Golden Gate Airlines, based in Monterey, was serving over 20 cities, mainly in California but also in Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah. It operated Convair 580s, Fokker F27s, and de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7s; in 1980, timetable claims more than a thousand flights weekly. The airline ceased performances circa 1981 after a failed merger with Swift Aire Lines, which was based in San Luis Obispo, CA. In 1980-81 Golden Gate operated nonstop from Monterey to Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Fresno, and Reno.

Historical airline service

In 1933 Pacific Seaboard Air Lines recorded passenger flights on single-engine Bellanca CH-300s, two daily round trips. Pacific Seaboard moved its operation to the eastern U.S., renamed Chicago and Southern Airlines, and become an international and domestic airline that in 1953 was acquired by and merged into Delta Air Lines.

Regional and commuter airline service

Various other local and commuter air carriers served Monterey in the 1980s and 1990s, principally to Los Angeles or San Francisco. WestAir Commuter Airlines were initially operating independently and then as United Express, and Wings West was initially operating independently and then as American Eagle Airlines.

Mesa Airlines and SkyWest are both operating as American Eagle and SkyWest, also working as United Express to continue to operate at Monterey with regional jet flights. Mesa Air serves Canadair CRJ-900s, and SkyWest operates Canadair CRJ-200s and CRJ-700s. Horizon Air running on behalf of Alaska Airlines serves the airport with Bombardier Q400s, the most extensive and fastest member of the de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 family.