Modesto Airport Info

Flying out of Modesto

Yes, Modesto has an airport.  And it is getting busier.  In 2007, Modesto Airport added flights to Los Angeles, and added more parking space.  The expansion has been great and has caused a bit more congestion at the airport.  We enjoy having an airport so close by, and the best part of it is that the parking is free.  The airport has been known as the Modesto City-County Airport.  It first opened in 1929, and currently has two runways.  Originally the airport was named Modesto Municipal Airport.  435 acres is dedicated to the airport.

Parking at Modesto Airport

The parking as of now is free; however, this may change with time.  They had to expand on the parking spaces recently.  That includes parking on dirt/gravel.  The proximity of Modesto Airport to Ceres, Turlock, and of course Modesto is unbeatable.

Prices of flights from Modesto Airport

It usually costs about an extra $100 to $300 to fly out of Modesto than to drive to Sacramento Airport, San Jose, Oakland, or even San Francisco.

What kind of airplanes / airlines at Modesto Airport?

There is currently only one company that flies out of Modesto:  That is United Airlines (United Express / Skywest).  They have a small plane that has propellers and occasionally needs to balanced (ie, passanges will be moved from front to back or vice versa).  The ride isn't as bumpy as you would think.  The carry ons are limited and most of the time there's a separate check in process if your carry on doesn't fit under the seat in front of you.  The noise level is pretty loud so it is hard to have a conversation during the flight.  Earplugs is a recommendation.

Destinations from Modesto Airport:

San Franscisco, CA, and Los Angeles, CA.  (SFO and LAX).

How long is the flight to San Francisco from Modesto?

From MOD to SFO, it takes about 30 minutes.

How long is the flight from Modesto to Los Angeles?

From MOD to LAX, it takes about 1.5 hours.

What is the service at the Modesto Airport like?

It varies.  For the most part it is excellent.  They do have their rules which they enforce such as how early one needs to arrive.  But compared to bigger airports, they don't require a huge amount of lead time.  One of the major problems of having a limited staff is that when the airplane is ready to leave, 90% of the staff migrates over to checking the patients into the aircraft.  That leaves the front desk empty.  Thus if you come while a plane is being loaded, be prepared to wait 15 minutes or more before you are helped at the front desk of the airport.  There are no airline kiosks at the front desk.

What about rental cars at the Modesto Airport?

Hertz and Avis have cars there.  There's a drop box for keys.

Is there food / food court at the Modesto Airport?

No there isn't.  I've seen some vending machines.

What else is good about the Modesto Airport?

I've seen free copies of the Modesto bee and other publications at the Modesto Airport.  Other publications I've seen there are:  ModestoView and Stanislaus Magazine.  And these are free to take or read while waiting for the airplane at Modesto airport.

What about other aircraft operations?  (corporate and business aviation)

This is going into more detail than I know about.  Visit Modesto Aircraft operations.  In the 1990's the corporate and business aviation became the fastest growing segement of activity for this airport.  See some details of this info at Modesto Airport History (Wikipedia entry)

Any downsides to flying out of Modesto's Airport?

There are several, but for the most part they are tolerable.  There's limited staff, so there are times throughout the day in which the front desk in unoccupied.  There is a bell there but it doesn't seem to perform any function while they are busy loading a departing airplane.  The staff for the most part tries to multitask and perform cross-trained functions to the best of their ability.  The airport is small - there is only one gate.  Flights are frequently cancelled coming to and from Modesto Airport.  Why?  The aircraft is small - very susceptible to weather problems, and there's limited crew to fly the airplane.  I don't think these small airplanes are the priority at United.  Also the airport is not 24 hours.  All this being said, we still like flying out of Modesto Airport whenever possible.

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