By Camas Frank

San Luis Obispo Regional Airport’s officials were happy Friday, as they announced an expansion of their capacity.
In the works since SkyWest Airlines switched over from turbo prop planes to larger and more modern jets, a third daily round trip to San Francisco will start Sept. 1.
United Express, operated by SkyWest Airlines, cut the overall number of seats when it dropped from three trips a day with 28 seats per flight, to two flights with 50 each.
The new flight will boost the passenger count to 150 available each way.
“Airlines and customers look at flights differently,” said Airport Manager, Kevin Bumen. “Passengers want to know how often the flights are to choose from. Airlines count how many seats are filled on each trip because that’s what pays their bills. They need to fly full.”
In July, Bumen and his staff will go before County Supervisors to ask approval for a new terminal design.
“The terminal building is the only thing holding us back as far as new lines go,” Bumen told the Tolosa Press June 5, after the announcement of the new flight. “We’re still very serious about a flight to Denver; that would likely be with United.”
There’s a difference he added, between attracting wholly new airlines and simply adding flights. “When we convince the lines already flying with us to help us expand, we don’t need extra office and counter space, it’s all logistics.”
Their announcement sums up that, “coupled with three existing flights to Los Angeles and three to Phoenix,” SLO Regional, which goes by the call letters SBP, “will soon have nine, non-stop, 50-seat jet flights to choose from daily.”
Schedule details are posted online at: www.SLOAirport.com, United.com, or USAirways.com.
Details of a survey asking local travelers to weigh in on a flight to Denver can be found in this issue’s Biz Briefs section. The survey runs through June 19.