Monterey Regional Airport is three miles (5 km) southeast of Monterey, in Monterey County, California, United States. It was created in 1936 and was known as the Monterey Peninsula Airport until the board of directors renamed it on September 14, 2011.
The airport is owned by the municipalities that make up the Monterey Peninsula Airport District. It is a public entity and its five-member board of directors is publicly elected.
The airport has its origins with flights from the polo field of the Hotel Del Monte in 1910. In 1941, local communities formed the Monterey Peninsula Airport District and acquired land to build an airport. World War II intervened, and the U.S. Navy leased the land, opening Naval Auxiliary Air Station Monterey on May 23, 1943. The Navy remained at the airport until 1972.
Runways
The airport covers and has two runways: 10R/28L: asphalt 10L/28R: asphalt
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Allegiant Air and American Airlines are the only airlines serving Monterey with mainline jets such as the Airbus A319. Allegiant planned to fly Boeing 757-200s nonstop to Honolulu starting in November, 2012; however, this Hawaii service never started and was subsequently permanently cancelled. Avelo Airlines also planned Boeing 737-800 service to Burbank beginning in September 2021, however this service was also cancelled temporarily before it launched.
Statistics
Top destinations
Historical airline service
In 1933 Pacific Seaboard Air Lines scheduled passenger flights on single engine Bellanca CH-300s, two daily round trips Los Angeles - Santa Barbara - Santa Maria - San Luis Obispo - Paso Robles - Monterey - Salinas - San Jose - San Francisco. Pacific Seaboard later moved its operation to the eastern U.S., was renamed Chicago and Southern Air Lines, and become a domestic and international airline that in 1953 was acquired by and merged into Delta Air Lines.
Past jet service
United Airlines mainline flights served Monterey from the 1930s until 2001. In 1966 United Convair 340s flew nonstop to San Francisco (SFO) and direct to Los Angeles (LAX) via Santa Barbara. In 1969 all United flights at Monterey were operated with Boeing 727-100s and Boeing 737-200s nonstop to Los Angeles and San Francisco. United later operated Douglas DC-8s, Boeing 727-200s, 757-200s and Airbus A320s to Monterey; the United DC-8 and 757 were the largest passenger aircraft ever scheduled to MRY. In 1979-81 United B727-100s flew nonstop to Chicago and Denver. In 1942 United Douglas DC-3s flew to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Barbara. Pacific Air Lines: Boeing 727-100s. Pacific operated the first jets from Monterey in 1966, nonstop 727s to San Francisco and direct 727s to Los Angeles via Santa Barbara. The longest runway was then 5,000 feet. Hughes Airwest (formerly Air West): Douglas DC-9-10s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s. In 1968 predecessor Air West Boeing 727-100s (formerly flown by Pacific Air Lines) flew nonstop to Los Angeles and direct to Las Vegas. Air California (predecessor of AirCal): Boeing 737-200s Pacific Express: BAC One-Elevens Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA): Boeing 727-100s and 727-200s in the late 1970s followed by BAe 146-200s in the late 1980s USAir (predecessor of US Airways): BAe 146-200s (formerly operated by Pacific Southwest Airlines) WestAir (operating as United Express): BAe 146-200s America West Express (operated by Mesa Airlines): Canadair CRJ200s ExpressJet (operating independently): Embraer ERJ-145s
According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), in late 1978 four airlines were operating daily nonstop jet service on the short hop from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) including Air California with Boeing 737-200s, Hughes Airwest with McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s, Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) with Boeing 727-200s, and United Airlines with Boeing 737-200s. This same OAG also lists nonstop 737 jet service operated by United and nonstop 727 jet service operated by Pacific Southwest from the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), nonstop 737 service operated by Air California from Ontario, CA (ONT), Orange County, CA (SNA) and Sacramento (SMF) as well as direct, no change of plane 737 jet service operated by United from Denver (DEN) , Reno (RNO) and Salt Lake City (SLC) and also direct one stop 737 service operated by Air California and direct one stop 727 service operated by Pacific Southwest from San Diego (SAN).
