SANTA ROSA -- It was a record year for airline flights at the Charles M. Schulz--Sonoma County Airport, marking the airport's highest commercial passenger volume since those flights returned nearly six years ago.
The airport accommodated nearly 214,000 commercial passengers in all of 2012, beating 2011's previous record by 3.2 percent, according to data released today.
Passenger volume for the month of December -- more than 16,500 -- was essentially flat compared with a year before. Yet volume grew in nine of the past 12 months, including a nearly 10 percent boost for passenger volume in August.
Seattle-based Alaska Airlines brought back commercial airline service to Santa Rosa in 2007. It's Horizon Air company operates five flights a day from Santa Rosa to Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Diego.
In June, Alaska Airlines, currently the only commercial carrier at the airport, started flights between San Diego and Santa Rosa, replacing service from Sonoma County to Las Vegas.
