{{Short description|Airport serving Fresno, California, US}} {{Good article}} {{Use American English|date=September 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}} {{redirect|Fresno Airport|other uses|Fresno Airport (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox airport | name = Fresno Yosemite International Airport | image = frameless|class=skin-invert|alt=Logo of a plane flying past a sequoia tree and Yosemite’s Half Dome in a circle, next to the words Fresno Yosemite International Airport | image2 = Fresno Airport aerial.png | caption2 = USGS aerial image, 2020 | IATA = FAT | ICAO = KFAT | FAA = FAT | type = Public / Military | owner = City of Fresno | operator = City of Fresno Airports Division | city-served = Fresno, San Joaquin Valley, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park | location = <!--if different than above--> | opened = {{start date and age|1946|06||df=n|p=n|br=n}} | timezone = PST | utc = UTC−08:00 | summer = PDT | utcs = UTC−07:00 | elevation-f = 336 | elevation-m = 102 | website = {{URL|https://flyfresno.com}} | coordinates = {{coord|36|46|36|N|119|43|08|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}} | image_map = Fresno Yosemite International Airport Runway Diagram.png | image_map_caption = FAA airport diagram | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 9 | mapframe-wikidata = yes | r1-number = 11L/29R | r1-length-f = 9,539 | r1-length-m = 2,907 | r1-surface = Asphalt | r2-number = 11R/29L | r2-length-f = 8,008 | r2-length-m = 2,441 | r2-surface = Asphalt | stat-year = 2025 | stat1-header = Total Passengers | stat1-data = 2,752,392 | stat2-header = Aircraft movements (2024) | stat2-data = 86,999 | footnotes = Sources: <ref name="FAA" /><ref name="BTS Transtats" /><ref>{{Cite press release |last=Calderon |first=Vikkie |date=January 21, 2025 |title=Airport Reaches New Heights in 2025 With Over 2.75 Million Passengers Served |url=https://flyfresno.com/airport-achieves-a-record-breaking-year-in-2025/ |access-date=March 1, 2026 |website=Fresno Yosemite International Airport |language=en-US}}</ref> }} '''Fresno Yosemite International Airport''' {{Airport codes|FAT|KFAT|FAT}} is a joint military–public airport in Fresno, California, United States. It is the primary commercial airport for the San Joaquin Valley and three national parks: Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon. It offers scheduled passenger flights to several major airline hubs in the United States and international service to Mexico. The facility opened in June 1942 as '''Hammer Field''', a military airfield. The airport is owned and operated by the city of Fresno and operates two runways on a property spanning {{convert|1728|acres|abbr=on}}. Its airport code "FAT" stands for '''Fresno Air Terminal''', a former name for the airport.
The airport has seen double-digit growth in its passenger traffic every year since 2018 (except 2020 due to the pandemic). {{As of|2024}}, the passenger terminal is undergoing a significant expansion project to expand the size of the security screening area, add new gates, and build a new international arrivals facility.
Due to its central location within the state, the airport is home to several military, law enforcement, firefighting, and medical air units. The '''Fresno Air National Guard Base''' on the southeast corner of the airport is home to the 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard. The Fresno Air Attack Base on the eastern side of the airport supports aerial firefighting aircraft. Other government and military operators with facilities at the airport include the California Army National Guard, the California Highway Patrol, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, and the Fresno Police Department.
Fresno is home to a large operations base for SkyWest Airlines, the nation's largest regional airline.
== History == === Military beginnings === The Fresno Yosemite International Airport opened as a military airfield in June 1942, just six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, leading the United States to enter World War II. The new airfield was named Hammer Field and was used by the United States Army Air Forces as a training facility for the new pilots of the Fourth Air Force. It had a single northwest/southeast oriented runway with a length of 7,200 feet (now runway 11L/29R).<ref name="Master Plan Ch 1">{{Cite web |date=February 2017 |title=Fresno Airports Master Plan – Working Paper #1: Introduction |url=http://fresnoairportsmasterplan.com/fresno/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/04/FAT-MP-Working-Paper-1-Introduction-web.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206001826/http://fresnoairportsmasterplan.com/fresno/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/04/FAT-MP-Working-Paper-1-Introduction-web.pdf |archive-date=December 6, 2018 |access-date=November 2, 2017 |publisher=Kimley-Horn}}</ref> [[File:Greetings from Hammer Field, California - Large Letter Postcard (5326372433).jpg|left|thumb|Curt Teich issued a "Greetings from Hammer Field" large letter postcard]] Night fighter training, using Northrop P-61s, was moved to Hammer Field in January 1944, initially with the 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group, replaced by the 319th Wing in May 1944. Training for the Bell P-59 Airacomet was added to the 319th mission in 1944, as well, confirmed Col. Ralph H. Snavely, commanding officer of the 319th Wing.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 30, 1944 |title=Jet-Plane Training Centered at Fresno |volume=51 |page=2 |work=The San Bernardino Daily Sun |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
At the time, civil and commercial aviation used Chandler Field that had opened in November 1929.<ref name="Chandler History">{{Cite web |title=Fresno Chandler Executive Airport Website |url=https://www.flyfresno.com/chandler-executive/ |access-date=November 2, 2017 |website=www.flyfresno.com |language=en-US |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201041741/https://www.flyfresno.com/chandler-executive/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Chandler is {{convert|1.5|mi}} west of downtown Fresno, on a small site. Less than a decade after it opened, it was clear that the small runway at Chandler would not be able to accommodate coming larger airliners.<ref name="Chandler History" />
=== Conversion to civil use === After World War II, Hammer Field was inactivated by the Army Air Forces, and the city of Fresno saw an opportunity to use the site to create a commercial airport much larger than Chandler Field. In 1946, the War Assets Administration reallocated the property to the city, and the construction of a passenger terminal on the northeast side of the airfield was immediately begun. In 1948, the newly renamed Fresno Air Terminal (FAT) opened. Trans World Airlines (TWA) and United Airlines flights to San Francisco/Oakland and Los Angeles moved from Chandler Field to the newly opened airport. Chandler Field was retained by the city of Fresno as a reliever airport and continues to operate as the Fresno Chandler Executive Airport.<ref name="Master Plan Ch 2">{{Cite book |url=http://www.fresnoairportsmasterplan.com/fresno/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/12/FATCh2Inventory-Revised-5-22-17.pdf |title=Fresno Airports Master Plan – Working Paper #2: Inventory |date=May 2017 |publisher=Kimley-Horn |access-date=November 2, 2017 |archive-date=December 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211105143/http://www.fresnoairportsmasterplan.com/fresno/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/12/FATCh2Inventory-Revised-5-22-17.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Chandler History" />
Strategic Air Command facilities for Convair B-36 operations were initially proposed for “Hammer Air Force Base,” but objections from the City of Fresno led them to be changed to Travis Air Force Base instead. The Fresno upgrade was projected to cost $22.3 million.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 27, 1951 |title=New Locations For Bases Asked |volume=LVIII, Number 24 |page=5 |work=The San Bernardino Daily Sun |agency=United Press}}</ref>
The California Air National Guard moved to the airport in the 1950s and established the Fresno Air National Guard Base on the southeast corner of the property. The guard also built munition storage bunkers along the northern edge of the airport grounds.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2010 |title=Inside the 144th FW |url=https://www.144fw.ang.af.mil/ |access-date=December 23, 2010 |publisher=144th Fighter Wing, California Air National Guard |archive-date=December 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231005609/http://www.144fw.ang.af.mil/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The 194th Fighter Squadron moved to the facility in late 1954, followed by the 144th Fighter Wing in 1957.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 4, 2013 |title=History of the 144th |language=en-US |work=Air National Guard – 144th Fighter Wing |url=https://www.144fw.ang.af.mil/Resources/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/442371/history-of-the-144th/ |access-date=November 2, 2017 |archive-date=March 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323092552/http://www.144fw.ang.af.mil/Resources/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/442371/history-of-the-144th/ |url-status=live }}</ref> As the guard moved in, a second parallel runway (11R/29L) was constructed and opened to traffic in 1956.<ref name="Master Plan Ch 2" />
thumb|left|The original part of the terminal building, which opened in 1962 and includes the mosaic "Sky and Ground"
Construction started on a new, larger passenger terminal in 1959 on the south side of the field.<ref name="Master Plan Ch 2" /> The building was a long, simple shape that housed a baggage claim area, a central lobby, and a ticketing area. The $1.5 million terminal had long walls of glass for the baggage claim and the ticketing areas, which book-ended the central lobby of solid masonry block which bears a venetian glass mosaic called "Sky and Ground" from Raymond Rice.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Publicly owned art in Fresno, California|publisher=Fresno County and City Chamber of Commerce|year=1973|location=Fresno, Calif.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Mosaics|url=https://rayandmiriamrice.com/ray-rice/mosaics/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-20|website=Estate of Ray and Miriam Rice|language=en-US|archive-date=July 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720222413/https://rayandmiriamrice.com/ray-rice/mosaics/}}</ref> From the central lobby, passengers used a tunnel to reach the open-air, remote concourse where they boarded planes from ground level.<ref name="Master Plan Ch 2" /> The terminal opened on March 28, 1962 and shortly after received an award from the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Canty |first=Donald |date=July 1962 |title=New airport design, in the U.S. and abroad |url=https://usmodernist.org/AF/AF-1962-07.pdf |magazine=Architectural Forum |issue=117 |page=80 |access-date=July 20, 2021 |archive-date=July 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720232500/https://usmodernist.org/AF/AF-1962-07.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Although renovated, the original terminal building is still in use today for the same functions that it was designed for. The current air traffic control tower was built around the same time as the terminal and opened in 1961.<ref name="Master Plan Ch 2" />
Pacific Air Lines was first to schedule jets to Fresno, with Boeing 727-100s in 1966.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 30, 1967 |title=Pacific Air Lines Timetable |url=http://pacificairlinesportfolio.com/Images%20Schedules%20Complete/1967%2007%2001%20Detail.htm |access-date=March 13, 2018 |publisher=Pacific Air Lines |archive-date=March 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314043209/http://pacificairlinesportfolio.com/Images%20Schedules%20Complete/1967%2007%2001%20Detail.htm |url-status=usurped }}</ref> United was the dominant carrier at the airport throughout the mid-1970s. At the airlines' peak, United operated daily DC-8s jet service to Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Hughes Airwest and PSA jets also served the airport at this time.<ref name="Schedule – April 1975">{{Cite web |date=April 15, 1975 |title=Fresno Air Terminal Schedule |url=http://www.departedflights.com/FAT75p1.html |access-date=November 1, 2018 |website=www.departedflights.com |archive-date=January 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103005309/http://www.departedflights.com/FAT75p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
The first significant expansion to the passenger terminal came in 1978 when a concourse was built straight out from the central lobby. This building, unlike the original remote concourse, was enclosed and climate-controlled.<ref name="Master Plan Ch 2" />
The airport saw significant down-gauging of flights following airline deregulation in 1978. By 1983, the airport mainly saw turboprop service from smaller carriers and United Airlines ended intrastate flights from Fresno.<ref name="Schedule – July 1983">{{Cite web |date=July 1, 1983 |title=Fresno Air Terminal Schedule |url=http://www.departedflights.com/FATp1.html |access-date=November 1, 2018 |website=www.departedflights.com |archive-date=January 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103005247/http://www.departedflights.com/FATp1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Delta Air Lines operated mainline jets to Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Reno in the mid-1990s,<ref name="Schedule – April 1995">{{Cite web |date=April 2, 1995 |title=Fresno Schedule |url=http://www.departedflights.com/FAT95p1.html |access-date=November 1, 2018 |website=www.departedflights.com |archive-date=January 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103005208/http://www.departedflights.com/FAT95p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> but by 1999, the only mainline jet flights remaining at Fresno was the American Airlines service to Dallas/Fort Worth.<ref name="Schedule – June 1999">{{Cite web |date=June 1, 1999 |title=Fresno Yosemite International Airport Schedule |url=http://www.departedflights.com/FAT99p1.html |access-date=November 1, 2018 |website=www.departedflights.com |archive-date=January 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103005145/http://www.departedflights.com/FAT99p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 1996, the airport's name was changed from Fresno Air Terminal to Fresno Yosemite International Airport to attract out-of-state and international visitors to Yosemite National Park to the airport. Despite the new name, scheduled international commercial flights would not begin operating in Fresno for nearly a decade.<ref name="Mexicana" /> At the time, airport managers petitioned the FAA for a new identifier code to replace FAT, which they said carries a negative connotation and no longer matched the initials of the airport. The request was denied, with the FAA reaffirming its long-standing policy to only issue a new identifier code when an airport is physically relocated.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fresno Yosemite International |year=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions |url=http://www.fresno.gov/DiscoverFresno/Airports/FAQ.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320023523/http://www.fresno.gov/DiscoverFresno/Airports/FAQ.htm |archive-date=March 20, 2011 |access-date=December 23, 2010 |publisher=City of Fresno}}</ref> In recent years, airport managers have embraced the FAT identifier code, naming a major expansion project “FATforward.”<ref>{{Cite web |title=FATforward |url=https://flyfresno.com/fatforward/ |access-date=July 30, 2022 |website=Fresno Yosemite International Airport |language=en-US |archive-date=August 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220823050507/https://flyfresno.com/fatforward/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Fresno has been the headquarters for a few airlines throughout its history. In the mid-1980s, Far West Airlines was founded in Fresno and used the airport as a small intrastate hub serving Burbank, Los Angeles, Modesto, Oakland, Orange County, Sacramento, and San Jose.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Far West Airlines September 17, 1984, Route Map|url=http://www.departedflights.com/FV091784.html|access-date=July 2, 2020|website=www.departedflights.com|archive-date=July 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702174706/http://www.departedflights.com/FV091784.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Air 21 was founded in Fresno in January 1994 and operated service between several western cities before ceasing operations in January 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Air 21 March 4, 1996, Route Map|url=http://www.departedflights.com/A7030496.html|access-date=July 2, 2020|website=www.departedflights.com|publisher=Departedflights.com|archive-date=June 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190628064222/http://www.departedflights.com/A7030496.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Allegiant Air was founded in Fresno in January 1997 with a single DC-9, offering charter flights to Tahoe and other destinations. By 1999, it expanded to three planes serving Las Vegas, Burbank, and South Lake Tahoe.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tehee |first=Joshua |date=November 20, 2024 |title=Flights from Fresno to Portland for under $50? Airline offering new nonstop route |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article295794449.html |access-date=December 31, 2024 |work=The Fresno Bee}}</ref> After declaring bankruptcy in 2000, its headquarters moved to a Las Vegas suburb under new leadership.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://newsroom.allegiantair.com/about-us/history/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Allegiant Air}}</ref>
=== Expansion and remodeling === thumb|The new concourse with jet bridges At the turn of the 21st century, the city began a series of projects to expand and remodel the passenger terminal. The first and most notable project was the expansion of the boarding areas. The project, designed by DMJM Aviation, extended the concourse further, creating a new two-level section with six jet bridges. Before this project, passengers boarded all planes using stairs or ramps. When completed in 2002, the new concourse building received praise for its design and was named one of the top 10 projects in Fresno Architecture for the decade, with critics commending the use of steel and the curved glass facade.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 31, 2009 |title=Decade in Review: Top 10 in Fresno Architecture |url=https://archop.org/2009/12/top-10/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130226010043/https://archop.org/2009/12/top-10/ |archive-date=February 26, 2013 |access-date=May 1, 2013 |website=archop }}</ref>
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility for international arrivals was added in early 2006, giving federal officials space to check passports and complete customs work. Completion of that facility allowed Fresno to begin receiving scheduled international commercial flights. The first international service started in April 2006 with Mexicana operating flights between Fresno and Mexico City with an intermediate stop in Guadalajara.<ref name="Mexicana">{{Cite press release |title=Mexicana Airlines Introduces First International Service between Mexico and Fresno |date=March 27, 2006 |url=http://hispanicprwire.com/en/mexicana-airlines-introduces-first-international-service-between-mexico-and-fresno/ |access-date=December 16, 2017 |website=Hispanic PR Wire }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
[[File:False sequoia trees inside Fresno Airport terminal, Oct 2013.jpg|thumb|"Sequoiascape," a public art display inside the terminal that depicts a sequoia forest]] With the new concourse extension and new international arrivals facility completed, portions of the original 1960s terminal building were given a major renovation. The project was designed by CSHQA and completed in several phases between 2006 and 2010. While keeping the facility operational, nearly every part of the building was updated, including the baggage claim area, security checkpoint, central lobby, ticketing area, and low-level concourse. The centerpiece of the project was “Sequoiascape,” a public art display in the central terminal lobby that depicts a life-size replica sequoia forest, reflecting the airport's role as a gateway to the nearby national parks. The giant trees appear to be supporting the roof of the terminal. They are surrounded by fallen logs, foliage, and the split rail fencing and granite curbs that visitors would see at the region’s national parks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 27, 2009 |title=Sequoia Trees Create Unique Sense of Place at Fresno Yosemite International Airport |url=http://www.cshqa.com/content/uploads/2016/03/FresnoAirport2009.pdf |access-date=December 16, 2017 |publisher=CSHQA |archive-date=March 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313154144/http://www.cshqa.com/content/uploads/2016/03/FresnoAirport2009.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fresno Yosemite International Airport Terminal Renovation |url=http://www.cshqa.com/projects/fresno-yosemite-international-airport-terminal-renovation/ |access-date=December 16, 2017 |website=CSHQA |archive-date=January 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130022058/http://www.cshqa.com/projects/fresno-yosemite-international-airport-terminal-renovation/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fresno Yosemite Int'l Airport |url=http://www.roebbelen.com/fresno-airport/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625185144/https://www.roebbelen.com/fresno-airport/ |archive-date=June 25, 2018 |access-date=September 4, 2014 |website=Roebbelen Contracting, Inc}}</ref><ref name="Airport Profile Onesheet">{{Cite web |title=Fresno Yosemite International Airport Profile |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55d7999ae4b02e27a05468d2/t/55e7b89ce4b0f4565e4c9dda/1441249436403/FresnoYosemiteIntlAirportProfile.pdf |access-date=September 27, 2019 |publisher=Fresno Yosemite International Airport |archive-date=September 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927143415/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55d7999ae4b02e27a05468d2/t/55e7b89ce4b0f4565e4c9dda/1441249436403/FresnoYosemiteIntlAirportProfile.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
A consolidated rental car facility opened at the airport in 2009. The $22 million project allows customers of most rental car companies to pick up and drop off vehicles just outside the terminal. The project also included the construction of maintenance buildings and storage lots on a nearby 11-acre site.<ref name="ConRAC" />
Direct international service from Fresno briefly ended in August 2010 when Mexicana went bankrupt. International service resumed, with more flights, less than a year later when both Aeroméxico and Volaris added service between Fresno and Guadalajara in April 2011.<ref name="Volaris">{{Cite news |date=March 1, 2011 |title=Volaris to Start Flying from FYI to Mexico |work=FOX26 News |url=http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=14167652 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307171803/http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=14167652 |archive-date=March 7, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Aeromexico">{{Cite news |last=Sheehan |first=Tim |date=March 10, 2011 |title=Aeroméxico to start Fresno flights April 4 |work=The Fresno Bee |url=http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/03/10/2304207/aeromexico-to-start-fresno-flights.html |url-status=dead |access-date=March 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311102636/http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/03/10/2304207/aeromexico-to-start-fresno-flights.html |archive-date=March 11, 2011 }}</ref>
The secondary runway (11R/29L) was widened, lengthened and strengthened in a $30 million project completed in October 2012.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Airports $35 Million Improvements Award Provide Economic Boost to Valley |date=September 29, 2011 |publisher=Fresno Yosemite International Airport |url=http://www.flyfresno.com/press/read/article/12 |access-date=June 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315175421/http://www.flyfresno.com/press/read/article/12 |archive-date=March 15, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Southwest Airlines began serving the airport on April 25, 2021, the first time the airline provided services at Fresno's airport, with daily flights to Las Vegas and Denver.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Vasconcelos|first=Vanessa|date=December 16, 2020|title=Southwest Airlines to offer flights at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in spring 2021|language=en|work=ABC30 Action News|url=https://abc30.com/8818865/|access-date=December 16, 2020|archive-date=December 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201216142058/https://abc30.com/8818865/|url-status=live}}</ref>
The airport added a 917-space, four-level parking garage in November 2021. The project cost $32 million.<ref name="Oliveira 2021">{{Cite news |last=Oliveira |first=Jason |date=2021-04-14 |title=Progress continues on parking structure at Fresno Yosemite International Airport |language=en |work=ABC30 Action News |url=https://abc30.com/10515243/ |url-status=live |access-date=2021-07-16 |archive-date=July 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716205217/https://abc30.com/10515243/ }}</ref>
== Future expansion == thumb|Parking garage under construction, July 2021 Fresno Yosemite International Airport is currently working on a $127 million expansion project that will make several changes to the terminal, including the addition of a new concourse building with two new gates that can be used for both domestic and international flights, enlarging the screening area for arriving international passengers, expanding the luggage-handling and sorting area for outbound flights, new shopping/dining areas, and expanding the Transportation Security Administration security checkpoint.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacob |first=Brittany |date=2021-06-29 |title=Traveling this summer? What you need to know before going to Fresno Yosemite International Airport |url=https://abc30.com/10843739/ |url-status=live |access-date=2021-07-16 |website=ABC30 Action News |language=en |archive-date=July 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716230503/https://abc30.com/10843739/ }}</ref><ref name="FATforward Update">{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Henry |date=August 11, 2022 |title=FATforward Update |url=https://fresno.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=11108433&GUID=D095D1AA-7DDF-4768-949F-26F3C57E32C1 |access-date=August 11, 2022 |website=City of Fresno |archive-date=December 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223211112/https://fresno.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=11108433&GUID=D095D1AA-7DDF-4768-949F-26F3C57E32C1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Airport managers initially anticipated that construction on the terminal expansion would begin in early 2021 and be operational before the summer 2022 travel season.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sheehan |first=Tim |date=February 1, 2019 |title=More parking coming in Fresno airport expansion. Will new airlines be coming, too? |work=The Fresno Bee |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article225410500.html |access-date=December 17, 2020 |archive-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411224339/https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article225410500.html |url-status=live }}</ref> However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the process was delayed, and construction did not start until spring 2023<ref name="Oliveira 2021" /> and is now scheduled to be completed in fall 2025.<ref name="FATforward Update" /><ref name="Garcia 2021">{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Nic |date=2021-11-11 |title=More expansion projects in the works at Fresno Yosemite International Airport |language=en |work=ABC30 Action News |url=https://abc30.com/11222640/ |url-status=live |access-date=2021-11-13 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306044754/https://abc30.com/fresno-airport-expansion-expansions/11222640/ }}</ref> The air traffic control tower is also expected to be replaced by 2024 in a $30 million project.<ref name="FATforward Update" />
The airport's primary runway (11L/29R) is scheduled to be reconstructed between 2025 and 2027, a $45 million project.<ref name="FATforward Update" />
== Airline service == [[File:Alaska SkyWest E75 in Fresno.jpg|thumb|Alaska Airlines Embraer 175 operated by SkyWest Airlines parked at the gate at Fresno Yosemite International Airport. SkyWest is a major operator from Fresno with a maintenance facility and aircrew base located at the airport.]]
SkyWest carries about 34% of the passenger traffic at Fresno, more than any other carrier.<ref name="BTS Transtats" /> The regional airline operates under contract with mainline partners as American Eagle, Alaska Airlines, Delta Connection and United Express. SkyWest has a {{convert|17|acre|adj=on}} maintenance and overnight parking facility on the east side of the airfield with 21 aircraft positions and an approximately {{convert|92,000|sqft|adj=on}} hangar.<ref name="Master Plan Ch 2" /> SkyWest also uses Fresno as a crew base for pilots and flight attendants.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 2018 |title=Fact Sheet |url=http://www.skywest.com/assets/Uploads/PressKits/SkyWest-FactSheetApr19.pdf |access-date=April 16, 2018 |publisher=SkyWest Airlines |archive-date=April 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417025445/http://www.skywest.com/assets/Uploads/PressKits/SkyWest-FactSheetApr19.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
Airlines that operate narrow-body aircraft from either the Airbus A320 family or the Boeing 737 family of jets include Alaska Airlines,<ref name="AlaskaRoutes">{{Cite web |title=Route maps |url=https://www.alaskaair.com/content/route-map?lid=nav:explore-routeMap&int=AS_NAV_Explore_RouteMap_-prodID:Destinations |access-date=2021-01-28 |website=Alaska Airlines |language=en |archive-date=May 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505171404/https://www.alaskaair.com/content/route-map?lid=nav:explore-routeMap&int=AS_NAV_Explore_RouteMap_-prodID:Destinations |url-status=live }}</ref> Allegiant Air,<ref name="AllegiantRoutes">{{Cite web |title=Allegiant Interactive Route Map |url=https://www.allegiantair.com/interactive-routemap |access-date=2021-01-28 |website=Allegiant Air |language=en-US |archive-date=July 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717045737/https://www.allegiantair.com/interactive-routemap |url-status=live }}</ref> American Airlines,<ref name="AmericanRoutes">{{Cite web |title=American Airlines Map |url=http://aa.fltmaps.com/en |access-date=2021-01-28 |archive-date=April 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408232954/http://aa.fltmaps.com/en |url-status=dead }}</ref> Delta Air Lines,<ref name="DeltaRoutes">{{Cite web |title=Delta Air Lines Map |url=https://dl.fltmaps.com/en |access-date=7 April 2025 |archive-date=April 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410172439/http://dl.fltmaps.com/en |url-status=dead }}</ref> Southwest Airlines,<ref name="SouthwestRoutes">{{Cite web |title=Check Flight Schedules |url=https://www.southwest.com/air/flight-schedules/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202053931/https://www.southwest.com/air/flight-schedules/index.html |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> and United Airlines.<ref name="UnitedRoutes">{{Cite web |title=U.S. and International Route Maps |url=https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/route-maps.aspx |access-date=2021-01-28 |website=United Airlines |archive-date=August 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808121745/https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/route-maps.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
Aeroméxico and Volaris both operate international service between Fresno and Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city and a major airline hub in the country.<ref name="AeroméxicoRoutes">{{Cite web |title=Book Flight |url=https://aeromexico.com/en-us/book |access-date=2021-01-28 |website=Aeroméxico |archive-date=February 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207225246/https://aeromexico.com/en-us/book |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="VolarisRoutes">{{Cite web |title=Volaris Coronavirus (COVID-19) update |url=https://cms.volaris.com/en/travel-info/coronavirus-update/ |access-date=2021-01-28 |website=Volaris |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121013225/https://cms.volaris.com/en/travel-info/coronavirus-update/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, Volaris also operates service to Morelia, the capital of and largest city in Mexico's Michoacán state and León, the largest city in Mexico's Guanajuato state.<ref name="VolarisRoutes" /> Direct international service from Fresno began on April 1, 2006, and are now some of the busiest flights from the airport.<ref name="Mexicana" /> As of 2016, international service on Aeroméxico and Volaris accounted for about 6% of all flights to Fresno but carried more than 13% of all passengers flying to the airport, a combined total of almost 201,000 people.<ref name="Sheehan 2017">{{Cite news |last=Sheehan |first=Tim |date=October 25, 2017 |title=Volaris adds second Mexico flight destination from Fresno airport |url=http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article180909656.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180305141942/http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article180909656.html |archive-date=March 5, 2018 |access-date=March 13, 2018 |work=The Fresno Bee |quote="In 2016, Volaris and Aeroméxico accounted for about 6% of all arriving and departing flights at Fresno Yosemite International airport, but their combined passenger totals of almost 201,000 represented more than 13% of all passengers flying to and from Fresno last year."}}</ref>
United Airlines is the carrier with the longest continuous operation out of Fresno Yosemite International Airport, which began serving the airport on its opening day alongside Trans World Airlines (TWA) which would later merge into American Airlines.<ref name="Master Plan Ch 1" />
== Infrastructure == thumb|Check-in counters
Fresno Yosemite International Airport covers {{convert|1728|acre|abbr=on}} at an elevation of {{convert|336|ft|abbr=on}} above mean sea level, with two paved asphalt runways. The primary runway, 11L/29R, is {{convert|9539|by|150|ft|abbr=on}} and the secondary runway, 11R/29L, {{convert|8008|by|150|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="FAA">{{FAA-airport|ID=FAT|use=PU|own=PU|site=01591.*A}}. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective February 19, 2026.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://skyvector.com/airport/FAT/Fresno-Yosemite-International-Airport|title=FAT airport data at skyvector.com|website=skyvector.com|access-date=February 19, 2026|archive-date=September 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907105147/https://skyvector.com/airport/FAT/Fresno-Yosemite-International-Airport|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2022, 2.1 million passengers passed through the Fresno Yosemite International Airport, representing an 11% increase from the previous record set in 2021, when 1.94 million passengers flew in and out of the airport, and breaking the record for most passengers, previously set in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-30 |title=Fresno airport reaches record for most customers served in 2022 |url=https://abc30.com/fresno-airport-record-number-customers-air-travel-yosemite-international-terminal-expansion/12751179/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=ABC30 Fresno |language=en |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131161325/https://abc30.com/fresno-airport-record-number-customers-air-travel-yosemite-international-terminal-expansion/12751179/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sheehan |first=Tim |date=January 20, 2020 |title=Fresno-Yosemite International Airport sets passenger record. Here's where they were going |work=The Fresno Bee |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article239808438.html |access-date=February 4, 2020 |archive-date=February 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205013909/https://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article239808438.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{Clear}}
== Airlines and destinations == === Passenger === {{As of|2025|8}}, Fresno Yosemite International Airport has non-stop passenger flights scheduled to 13 domestic and 3 international destinations in Mexico, operated by 8 airlines. <!-- Please use only independent sources. The airport and airlines are not independent sources. --> {{Airport destination list |3rdcoltitle={{Abbr|Refs.|References}} |3rdcolunsortable=yes <!-- --> | Aeroméxico | Guadalajara |<ref name="flights">{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=Miranda |title=Flights delayed, cancelled at Fresno Yosemite International Airport |url=https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/flight-disruptions-fresno/ |access-date=22 January 2026 |date=16 January 2026}}</ref> <!-- --> | Alaska Airlines | Portland (OR), San Diego, Seattle/Tacoma| <ref name="Galan2025">{{cite news |last1=Galan |first1=Fernanda |title=Fresno airport is adding new flights to 4 destinations in 2025. Here’s how much tickets cost |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article300086094.html |access-date=22 January 2026 |work=Fresno Bee |date=12 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="flights"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sheehan |first1=Tim |title=Third airline launches flights from Fresno to major Mexico city. Here’s when it’s flying |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article296502944.html |access-date=22 January 2026 |date=4 December 2024}}</ref> <!-- --> | Allegiant Air | Las Vegas<br>'''Seasonal:''' Portland (OR) | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Galan |first1=Fernanda |title=Fresno airport adds direct flights to popular destination. Here’s where and when |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article306993416.html |access-date=22 January 2026 |date=22 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sandoval |first1=Ginnie |title=Allegiant now offering 'low-cost' nonstop flights from PDX to 4 US cities: What to know |url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2025/06/09/allegiant-low-cost-flights-pdx/83882663007/ |access-date=22 January 2026 |work=Statesman Journal |date=9 June 2025}}</ref> <!-- --> | American Airlines | Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix–Sky Harbor | <ref name="Price2023">{{cite news |last1=Price |first1=Stepheny |title=Where can you fly direct out of Fresno’s airport? |url=https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/digital-enterprise/where-can-you-fly-direct-out-of-fresnos-airport/ |access-date=22 January 2026 |date=23 July 2023}}</ref> <!-- --> | American Eagle | Phoenix–Sky Harbor | <ref name="Price2023"/> <!-- --> | Delta Connection | Salt Lake City | <ref name="Price2023"/> <!-- --> | {{nowrap|Southwest Airlines}} |Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego<br>'''Seasonal:''' Dallas–Love | <ref name="Galan2025"/><ref name="Price2023"/><ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-02-06 |title=Southwest Airlines adding nonstop flights between Fresno and San Diego |url=https://abc30.com/post/southwest-airlines-adding-nonstop-flights-between-fresno-san-diego/15873688/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |work=ABC30 Action News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Fresno Yosemite International Airport reached new record of 2.6m passengers in 2024 |url=https://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/2025/02/06/fresno-yosemite-international-airport-reached-new-record-of-2-6m-passengers-in-2024/ |access-date=22 January 2026 |work=Valley Voice |date=7 February 2025}}</ref> <!-- --> | United Airlines | Denver<br>'''Seasonal:''' Chicago–O'Hare | <ref name="flights"/><ref name="Price2023"/> <!-- --> | United Express | Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco | <ref name="flights"/><ref name="Price2023"/> <!-- --> | Volaris | Guadalajara, León/El Bajío, Morelia | <ref name="Price2023"/> }}
=== Cargo === {{Airport destination list |3rdcoltitle={{Abbr|Refs.|References}}|3rdcolunsortable=yes | Ameriflight | Burbank, Ontario, Santa Maria | <ref>{{Cite web |title=Fleet & Bases |url=https://w3.ameriflight.com/fleet-bases/ |access-date=April 12, 2018 |publisher=Ameriflight |archive-date=April 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413043404/https://w3.ameriflight.com/fleet-bases/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="FlightAware Flight Finder">{{Cite web |title=Flight Finder |url=https://flightaware.com/live/findflight |access-date=April 12, 2018 |website=FlightAware |language=en |archive-date=April 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413044223/https://flightaware.com/live/findflight |url-status=live }}</ref> | FedEx Express | Denver, Grand Junction, Memphis, Oakland, Tulsa, Visalia | <ref name="FlightAware Flight Finder" /> | UPS Airlines | Louisville, Ontario | <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Independent Pilots Association |url=http://inside.ipapilot.org/tools/jumpseats/index.php |access-date=July 13, 2021 |website=inside.ipapilot.org |archive-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411225111/http://inside.ipapilot.org/tools/jumpseats/index.php |url-status=live }}</ref> }}
== Statistics == === Top destinations === {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%" |+ Busiest domestic routes from FAT (January 2025 – December 2025)<ref name="BTS Transtats">{{Cite web|title=RITA | BTS | Transtats: Fresno, CA: Fresno Yosemite International (FAT)|url=https://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?20=E&Nv42146=SNg&Nv42146_anzr=S4r501,%20PN:%20S4r501%20l15rzv6r%20V06r40n6v10ny&pn44vr4=SNPgf|access-date=April 5, 2026|publisher=Bureau of Transportation Statistics}}</ref> |- ! Rank ! City ! Passengers ! Carriers |- | 1 | Las Vegas, Nevada | 211,770 | Allegiant, Southwest |- | 2 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | 210,610 | American |- | 3 | Denver, Colorado | 133,030 | Southwest, United |- | 4 | Phoenix, Arizona | 123,810 | American |- | 5 | San Diego, California | 90,840 | Alaska, Southwest |- | 6 | Seattle–Tacoma, Washington | 87,280 | Alaska |- | 7 | Salt Lake City, Utah | 75,220 | Delta |-
| 8 | San Francisco, California | 64,870 | United |- | 9 | Los Angeles, California | 56,420 | United |- | 10 | Portland, Oregon | 50,990 | Alaska, Allegiant |}
=== Airline market share === {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%" width= align= |+ Market share at FAT<br>(January 2025–December 2025)<ref name="BTS Transtats" /> |- ! Rank ! Airline ! Passengers ! Share |- | 1 | SkyWest Airlines | 898,000 | 38.68% |- | 2 | American Airlines | 584,000 | 25.16% |- | 3 | Southwest Airlines | 405,000 | 17.44% |- | 4 | Allegiant Air | 148,000 | 6.35% |- | 5 | United Airlines | 123,000 | 5.28% |- | — | All others | 164,000 | 7.08% |}
=== Passenger traffic === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Passengers ! Change ! Passenger totals (in millions) |- | 2002 | 908,314 | - | rowspan="24" style="background:#fff;"| <timeline> ImageSize = width:auto height:250 barincrement:30 PlotArea = left:30 bottom:15 top:11 right:15 AlignBars = justify Period = from:0 till:3 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical Colors = id:gray value:gray(0.5) id:line1 value:gray(0.9) id:line2 value:gray(0.7)
ScaleMajor = start:0 increment:1 gridcolor:line2 ScaleMinor = start:0 increment:1 gridcolor:line1
PlotData= color:blue width:15 bar:'02 from:start till:0.908 bar:'03 from:start till:0.915 bar:'04 from:start till:1.031 bar:'05 from:start till:1.092 bar:'06 from:start till:1.189 bar:'07 from:start till:1.248 bar:'08 from:start till:1.273 bar:'09 from:start till:1.128 bar:'10 from:start till:1.146 bar:'11 from:start till:1.159 bar:'12 from:start till:1.240 bar:'13 from:start till:1.328 bar:'14 from:start till:1.391 bar:'15 from:start till:1.392 bar:'16 from:start till:1.541 bar:'17 from:start till:1.539 bar:'18 from:start till:1.766 bar:'19 from:start till:1.965 bar:'20 from:start till:0.991 bar:'21 from:start till:1.948 bar:'22 from:start till:2.182 bar:'23 from:start till:2.449 bar:'24 from:start till:2.672 bar:'25 from:start till:2.752 </timeline> |- | 2003 | 915,911 | {{Change|908,314|915,911|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2004 | 1,031,291 | {{Change|915,911|1,031,291|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2005 | 1,092,130 | {{Change|1,031,291|1,092,130|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2006 | 1,189,967 | {{Change|1,092,130|1,189,967|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2007 | 1,248,255 | {{Change|1,189,967|1,248,255|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2008 | 1,273,813 | {{Change|1,248,255|1,273,813|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2009 | 1,128,695 | {{Change|1,273,813|1,128,695|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2010 | 1,146,685 | {{Change|1,128,695|1,146,685|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2011 | 1,159,989 | {{Change|1,146,685|1,159,989|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2012 | 1,240,286 | {{Change|1,159,989|1,240,286|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2013 | 1,328,972 | {{Change|1,240,286|1,328,972|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2014 | 1,390,704 | {{Change|1,328,972|1,390,704|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2015 | 1,392,070 | {{Change|1,390,704|1,392,070|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2016 | 1,540,922 | {{Change|1,392,070|1,540,922|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2017 | 1,538,833 | {{Change|1,540,922|1,538,833|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2018 | 1,765,963 | {{Change|1,538,833|1,765,963|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2019 | 1,964,489 | {{Change|1,765,963|1,964,489|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2020 | 990,627 | {{Change|1,964,489|990,627|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2021 | 1,948,313 | {{Change|990,627|1,948,313|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2022 | 2,181,841 | {{Change|1,948,313|2,181,841|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2023 | 2,449,418 | {{Change|2,181,841|2,449,418|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2024 | 2,672,881 | {{Change|2,449,418|2,672,881|disp=out|dec=1}} |- | 2025 | 2,752,392 | {{Change|2,672,881|2,752,392|disp=out|dec=1}} |}
== Military and government operations == The 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard is based at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2005 |title=Fresno Air National Guard Base |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/fresno.htm |access-date=March 5, 2011 |website=Global Security |archive-date=January 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128045453/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/fresno.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The California Army National Guard also has an Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot (AVCRAD) at the airport.<ref name="Master Plan Ch 2" /> The depot performs high-level maintenance and repair of Army aircraft. Its jurisdiction covers a 15-state region in the Western United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Van Dyke |first=Col. Mark |date=August 24, 2015 |title=1106th TASMG Overview Presentation |url=http://www.ncfa.ncr.gov/sites/default/files/1106%20TASMG%20NCFA%20Brief.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314043524/http://www.ncfa.ncr.gov/sites/default/files/1106%20TASMG%20NCFA%20Brief.pdf |archive-date=March 14, 2018 |access-date=March 13, 2018 |publisher=National Commission on the Future of the Army}}</ref>
The United States Forest Service, Sierra National Forest and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) jointly operate the Fresno Air Attack Base at the airport for fighting forest fires with aerial tankers. The air attack base has a command center and four loading pits where fire retardant is pumped into aircraft with the capacity to load up to 300,000 gallons each day.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2005 |title=Fresno Air Attack Base factsheet |url=http://www.calfire.ca.gov/about/downloads/air_attack_bases/Fresno.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508133820/http://calfire.ca.gov/about/downloads/air_attack_bases/Fresno.pdf |archive-date=May 8, 2018 |access-date=March 13, 2018 |publisher=California Department of Forestry}}</ref>
Other government operators with facilities at the airport include the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, and the Fresno Police Department.<ref name="Master Plan Ch 2" />
== Ground transportation and access == <!-- Highways --> The airport is located about {{Convert|1|mi|spell=in}} north of California State Route 180, with vehicles using Peach Avenue to connect between the airport and the highway.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hostetter |first=George |date=December 23, 2014 |title=Fresno's Peach Avenue gets long-sought widening |language=en |work=The Fresno Bee |url=http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article19528746.html |access-date=April 16, 2018 |archive-date=April 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417023843/http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article19528746.html |url-status=live }}</ref> California State Route 180 connects to all of the other freeways in the Fresno area: California State Route 41, California State Route 99, and California State Route 168.<ref name="CAHighways 180">{{Cite web |title=State Route 180 |url=https://cahighways.org/177-184.html#180 |access-date=April 16, 2018 |website=California Highways |archive-date=April 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417023257/https://cahighways.org/177-184.html#180 |url-status=live }}</ref> Yosemite National Park can be accessed by California State Route 41 and Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park can be accessed by California State Route 180.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Driving Directions – Yosemite National Park |url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/driving.htm |publisher=National Park Service |language=en |access-date=April 28, 2018 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412232931/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/driving.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Driving Directions – Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks |url=https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/directions.htm |publisher=National Park Service |language=en |access-date=April 28, 2018 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412232929/https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/directions.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!-- Parking --> The city of Fresno offers paid on-site parking in a 900-space parking garage south of the airport terminal, a large lot south of the terminal, and several smaller lots east of the terminal. A separate cell phone waiting lot located on the southeast corner of the airport property has stalls designated for drivers waiting for arriving passengers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parking Information |url=https://flyfresno.com/parking/ |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=Fresno Yosemite International Airport |language=en-US |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128024958/https://flyfresno.com/parking/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Parking">{{Cite web |title=Parking map |url=https://flyfresno.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/parking_map.png |access-date=September 25, 2017 |publisher=Fresno Yosemite International Airport |archive-date=November 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117060218/https://www.flyfresno.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/parking_map.png |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!-- Public transportation --> Fresno Area Express (FAX) operates two public transit bus routes to the airport, each with half-hourly service. Route 26 Palm / Butler runs between the airport and North Fresno via Southeast and Downtown Fresno (where passengers may transfer to other FAX routes). Route 39 FYI/Clinton runs between the airport and West Fresno.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Department of Transportation {{!}} FAX Routes & Schedules |url=https://www.fresno.gov/transportation/fax-routes-schedules/ |access-date=September 25, 2017 |website=www.fresno.gov |language=en-US |archive-date=September 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925230821/https://www.fresno.gov/transportation/fax-routes-schedules/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The City of Visalia operates the V-LINE bus between the airport and the Visalia Transit Center (where passengers can connect to Visalia Transit routes) and the Visalia Airport (which offers V-LINE passengers free long-term parking for up to ten days).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gaytan |first=Marina |title=Visalia Transit rolls out V-Line service |language=en-US |work=Visalia Times-Delta |publication-date=November 17, 2015 |url=https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2015/11/17/visalia-transit-rolls-line-service/75969812/ |access-date=September 25, 2017 |archive-date=May 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515125739/https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2015/11/17/visalia-transit-rolls-line-service/75969812/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=V-LINE Stops |url=https://ridevline.com/stops/ |access-date=September 25, 2017 |website=Visalia Transit |language=en-US |archive-date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805010633/https://ridevline.com/stops/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!-- Rental car facility --> The airport offers a consolidated rental car facility at the terminal's west end. Nine rental car companies have passenger service counters inside the terminal near the baggage claim area, and up to 400 cars can be parked in a lot just west of the terminal building.<ref name="ConRAC">{{Cite news |date=March 8, 2016 |title=Rental Car Facility (ConRAC) at Fresno-Yosemite International Airport (FAT) |language=en |work=PGAL |url=https://www.pgal.com/projects/rental-car-facility-conrac-at-fresno-yosemite-international-airport-fat |access-date=September 25, 2017 |archive-date=September 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926041149/https://www.pgal.com/projects/rental-car-facility-conrac-at-fresno-yosemite-international-airport-fat |url-status=live }}</ref> The 11-acre rental car facility opened in 2009 and was built at a cost of $22 million.<ref name="ConRAC" />
<!-- Bicycle --> The airport has covered bicycle parking racks inside the parking garage south of the terminal.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fresno_Airport_bike_racks.jpg |title=Covered bike racks inside the parking garage at Fresno Yosemite International Airport |date=2022-08-07 |type=Image |access-date=2022-08-08 |archive-date=August 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220823055239/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fresno_Airport_bike_racks.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> Nearby roads East Clinton Way and East McKinley Avenue have Class II bike lanes (on-roadway, separated) and they connect to the Class I bike path (off-roadway) that runs alongside North Clovis Avenue.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 2016 |title=City of Fresno Active Transportation Plan |url=https://www.fresno.gov/publicworks/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2016/09/170022FresnoATPFinal012017.pdf |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=City of Fresno |archive-date=October 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026172219/http://www.fresno.gov/publicworks/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2016/09/170022FresnoATPFinal012017.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> {{As of|2025}}, the City of Fresno is constructing a Class I bike path along McKinley that will provide a better connection to the Clovis Avenue path and also travel as far east as Blackstone Avenue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Ben |date=2024-11-22 |title=7-mile bike, walking trail progresses toward completion in Fresno |url=https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/7-mile-bike-walking-trail-progresses-toward-completion-in-fresno/amp/ |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=YourCentralValley.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Accidents and incidents == * On December 14, 1994, a private jet on a military training mission, attempting to land at Fresno, crashed onto a street and skidded into an apartment complex, killing both pilots and injuring 21 people on the ground.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Arax |first=Mark |date=December 15, 1994 |title=At Least 3 Killed as Plane Crashes on Fresno Street : Accident: Learjet has engine trouble while returning to airport. It slams into apartment complex, creating grim scene of destruction. |language=en-US |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-15-mn-9332-story.html |access-date=December 27, 2017 |issn=0458-3035 |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410065259/http://articles.latimes.com/1994-12-15/news/mn-9332_1_apartment-complex-wednesday |url-status=live }}</ref> The Learjet 35, piloted by two civilians and belonging to a Georgia-based company, Phoenix Air Group, was contracted by the US Air Force to provide training for California Air National Guard pilots. The plane had been involved in a war game with an F-16 fighter jet and was on its way back to the airport when the flight crew declared an emergency due to engine fire indications. They directed the plane toward their requested runway but the aircraft continued past the airport. On radio transmissions, the flight crew was heard attempting to diagnose the emergency conditions and control the aircraft, until the plane crashed with its landing gear down about {{convert|2|mi}} southwest of the airport. It then plowed into an apartment complex and exploded in a fireball. Twelve apartment units in two buildings were destroyed or substantially damaged by the impact or the subsequent fire. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable causes of the accident were improperly installed electrical wiring that led to an in-flight fire which damaged the aircraft's systems causing a loss of control and improper maintenance and inspection of the aircraft.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/RecLetters/A95_147.pdf |title=Aircraft Accident Report: Crash During Emergency Landing, Phoenix Air, Learjet 35A, N521PA. Fresno, California, December 14, 1994 |last1=Hall |first1=James E. |last2=Francis II |first2=Robert T. |date=August 1, 1995 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |docket=PB95-910404 |last3=Hammerschmidt |first3=John |access-date=December 27, 2017 |archive-date=May 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505053254/https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/A95_147.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> * On September 13, 2015, a McDonnell Douglas MD-87 jetliner converted for aerial firefighting use as an air tanker operated by Erickson had an engine failure after taking off from the airport. Pieces of the engine struck a car, damaging it. The aircraft was able to return to the airport safely.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gonzalez |first=Liz |date=2015-09-14 |title=Engine Parts Fall Off Plane, Into Fresno Neighborhood |work=FOX26 News |url=https://kmph.com/news/local/engine-parts-fall-off-plane-into-fresno-neighborhood |access-date=2020-12-17 |archive-date=October 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006011041/https://kmph.com/news/local/engine-parts-fall-off-plane-into-fresno-neighborhood |url-status=live }}</ref> * On December 18, 2019, a 17 year old girl was arrested after attempting to steal a Beechcraft King Air 200 . She was able to start one engine before eventually crashing into a Landmark Aviation building.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Albert |first=Victoria |date=2019-12-18 |title=Fresno plane crash: 17-year-old steals plane in California before crashing it into building, officials say - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fresno-plane-crash-17-year-old-steals-plane-in-california-before-crashing-it-into-building/ |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-21 |title=Teen tried to steal plane from Fresno airport. So, just how easy is it to start an airplane? |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article238564723.html |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=Fresno Bee |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == {{Commons}} * {{Official website}} * {{FAA-diagram|00237}} * {{FAA-procedures|FAT}} {{US-airport|FAT}} {{Fresno}} {{CAMilitary}} {{Yosemite National Park}} {{Portal bar| Aviation | California}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Airports in Fresno County, California Category:Transportation in Fresno, California Category:Public transportation in the San Joaquin Valley Area Category:California in World War II