Meadows Field Airport

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Meadows Field

IATA: BFL - ICAO: KBFL - FAA: BFL
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Kern County
Serves		Bakersfield, California
Elevation AMSL		507 ft (154.5 m)
Coordinates		35°26′01″N, 119°03′24″W
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
12L/30R	10,857	3,309	Asphalt
12R/30L	3,700	1,128	Asphalt

Meadows Field (IATA: BFL, ICAO: KBFL, FAA LID: BFL) is the primary airport of Bakersfield, California and is owned by Kern County, California. Meadows Field is also called Kern County Airport #1. The airport covers 1,357 acres and has two runways.

Established in the 1920's, Meadows Field is actually in Oildale to the north of Bakersfield and is named after former county airport commissioner and aerial pioneer Cecil Meadows. The primary terminal was moved on February 27, 2006 to the newly constructed William M. Thomas Air Terminal, named after local U.S. Representative and strong airport supporter Bill Thomas. The new terminal upgrades the airports facilities, adding jetways, indoor luggage carousels, wireless internet access, etc. The older terminal, built in the 1950s, is being transformed to an international terminal that is expected to open by the summer of 2007. The older terminal featured a restaurant site and motel, both of which have been demolished. There are no immediate facilities immediately adjacent to the airport, but a number of hotels and restaurants exist within a mile of the terminal at 7th Standard Road and Highway 65 and along Airport Drive.

The airport has four airlines that fly regional air service. They offer direct flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Houston, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. Future plans call for direct flights to Denver and international flights to Guadalajara and Mexico City. More airlines are expected to start service to Bakersfield including Mexicana and Aeromexico moving the airport into an international designation once the old terminal is re-built for this new air traffic in 2007.