First direct flight to San Jose leaves Spokane International Airport

Hawk Hammer by Hawk Hammer

The first direct flight to San Jose, California left the Spokane International Airport on Sunday at 6:45 p.m.

The Southwest flight connects Spokane directly to Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, and the business opportunities the region brings.

“Anything to get people up here directly is always good,” said Annette Timentwa.

The new flight is another benchmark for the airport, which boasted a record breaking 3 million passengers in 2017 and just announced a $130 million dollar expansion.

“We are going out, we are going places, and we have a lot of people coming in,” said Calem Louie, “Spokane is growing.”

The inaugural flight was sent off with a small celebration by airport officials at the gate.

The flight joins a growing list of direct flights out of Spokane International Airport, which includes Boise, Chicago O’Hare, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle and Salt Lake.

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