Aviation has been linked to Kern County for almost as long as the existence of the industry. In 1891, Charles Howard ascended in a hot air balloon to . He jumped and landed safely with a parachute he designed and constructed. By 1910, only seven years after the Wright Brothers' first airplane flight, aircraft began arriving in the county. They were brought in by Glenn Curtiss (in conjunction with the Kern County Board of Trade). The first flight in the area was flown by Charles Hamilton. Bakersfield then had two airfields. The more prominent field was at Sacramento and Monterey streets in
East Bakersfield (at the time, mostly empty fields). It was named Bernard Field and was run by the Pacific Aero Club. The field would be a stop for US Air Mail from 1923 to 1926 (when that moved to Meadows Field). Another airfield was on the Panorama Bluffs in
Northeast Bakersfield where Greenlawn Mortuary is today. The original facility had one runway, one terminal building, and a few hangars and other buildings. In 1935, Kern County bought the airport from the Chamber of Commerce. It was the first county-owned airport in the nation. From 2007 until 2008,
Mexicana flew
Airbus A318s non-stop to Guadalajara. A number of commuter and regional carriers have served the airport including
Air Pacific,
Air L.A.,
American Eagle Airlines, Apollo Airways,
Aspen Airways, Cal-State Air Lines,
ExpressJet Airlines (initially operating as
Continental Express and later independently),
Imperial Airlines,
Golden Gate Airlines,
Golden West Airlines, Laughlin Express,
Mesa Airlines (initially operating independently and later as
America West Express and successor
US Airways Express), Pacific Coast Airlines,
SkyWest (initially operating independently and later as
Western Express,
Delta Connection and
US Airways Express),
Sun Aire,
StatesWest Airlines (operating as
USAir Express),
Swift Aire Lines,
WestAir (operating as
United Express), and
Wings West Airlines.
Deregulation and decline The airport saw increased air service during the 1950s and 1960s; in 1975, annual enplanements would reach 97,000. The growth ended with
airline deregulation in 1978. While other cities saw a decrease of prices and increase in service, almost all air service was eliminated from Meadows Field in favor of other airports such as
LAX (about south). The City of Bakersfield and the County of Kern attempted to prevent a reduction in service by filing a joint lawsuit; however, the court sided with the federal government. Annual enplanements fell 59%, from 147,866 in 1978 to 60,958 in 1981 (although the next year it would rebound to 90,000). Air service would eventually average 120,000 enplanements between 1980 and 2000. Service was expensive compared to nearby airports and normally ran during inconvenient times. Service was also inconsistent, with airlines frequently starting and ending routes. During the same time period, the region also saw a large growth in population. While the City of Bakersfield grew 134%, and the County of Kern grew 64%, the airport did not see an increase in service to match. Except for the lengthening of the main runway in 1987 to accommodate wide-body jets, few improvements were done at Meadows Field during that period.
Rebirth and rise to international airport In the early 2000s, the county started an initiative to address the problems in air service. In 2002, it was estimated that about 400,000 people who lived in the service area of the airport chose to fly from a different location; 25% of those flew to destinations in Mexico. Kern County started multiple projects to address the reluctance of airlines to use the airport. They included: installing centerline landing lights on the main runway, extending the second runway to 7,700 feet (the length most airplanes that use the airport would need), construction of a new terminal with jet bridges and inside baggage claim, and remodeling the existing terminal to accommodate international flights. Most improvements were completed by 2006, with the international terminal completed in 2007. Initial response was favorable. Four new airlines would start service at the airport, including international service to Mexico operated by
Mexicana. This would also increase enplanements above the levels set in 1978. However, high gas prices and the subsequent recession of 2008 would reduce service to 2002 levels, including the loss of the airport's international carrier. However, the US Customs house would remain open. In addition to serving international charter and unscheduled flights, it would process international cargo. Both the Tejon Industrial Complex (south of Bakersfield) and the International Trade and Transportation Center (in
Shafter, west of Bakersfield) would lease warehouse space at the airport for use by their clients. == Facilities ==