SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Sonoma County Airport (STS) and partners will celebrate the first inbound and outbound American Airlines Dallas flights today, Thursday, June 6. Inbound passengers from Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) will be greeted with welcome signage, and flowers and balloons will be placed throughout the Airport. Inbound passengers will be presented with Wine Country goody bags, while greeted by staff dressed in western attire.

The daily American Airlines service to/from DFW has been in the works for several years. The inaugural flight from Dallas to Sonoma County is scheduled to land Thursday, June 6 at 12:50 p.m., and depart at 1:30 p.m.

This expansion of air service to/from Wine Country is a strategic move by both STS, Sonoma County tourism entities, and American Airlines to expand upon nationwide flight access to/from Northern California. STS is the largest regional commercial airport north of the San Francisco Bay Area, and is quickly becoming a staple hub preferred by regional travelers from Sonoma, Mendocino and Napa counties, and beyond.

“The new flight to Dallas/Fort Worth offers our customers in Santa Rosa convenient, easy connections around the world, including access to our new seasonal service to Dublin and Munich through our largest hub,” said Kyle Mabry, Vice President, Sales – Western Division. “And we’re looking forward to welcoming more visitors to explore Wine Country with daily service.”

“Dallas is an incredibly important market for Sonoma County,” says Claudia Vecchio, president/CEO, Sonoma County Tourism.  “Not only is the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex home to high value wine and food aficionados, but it is the gateway to the world. We have great expectations for this market and for increasing air lift into DFW.”

“American Airlines is the world’s largest air carrier and Dallas-Fort Worth is the fourth busiest airport in the country.” said Brad Calkin’s, Executive Director of Visit Santa Rosa. “That’s a win-win combination to connect Santa Rosa with more visitors from new cities from all over the United States and beyond.”

“Direct flights like the new American Airlines service from Dallas-Fort Worth to Sonoma County play a key part in enhancing economic opportunities,” said Peter Rumble, CEO of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber. “As more and more routes are added Santa Rosa’s reputation as a highly desirable business and leisure travel destination continues to grow exponentially.”