Check airfares out of Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California

Flying from the Burbank airport to Pittsburgh, through Denver, was recently less expensive than flying out of Los Angeles International Airport, so travelers checking for low air fares when flying in and out of the Los Angeles area should price all Southern California airports including Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California.

Today’s Bob Hope Airport is administered by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena airport authority. The seven airlines operating are: Southwest, Alaska, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, United, US Airways.

Bob Hope Airport, “America’s Model Airport”, is now 80 years old. The anniversary was celebrated early June 2010 and included a catered luncheon open to airport employees and local officials.

A mural of Bob Hope was put up to greet passengers arriving at the terminal.

The airport was originally named the United Airport but the name was changed after Bob Hope died at age 100 in his home in nearby Toluca Lake.

The airport’s original opening ceremonies were held May 30^th to June 1^st 1930. A replica program of the initial opening day ceremonies stated: “America’s Model Airport is now open to all branches of Aviation. Paved runways 300 feet wide and 3,500 feet long permit take-off in all directions . . . The Airport is particularly free from surrounding obstructions and practically free from fog.”

In a 2008 study, Bob Hope Airport was credited with generating a $3.9 billion economic impact on the area including being responsible for 2,400 jobs at the airport itself and another 34,000 jobs in the surrounding area.

The tax component of the Airport’s economic impact in Los Angeles County was $386.3

million, with $260.5 million going to the state and $125.8 million going to local government.

Passengers gave Bob Hope Airport higher marks for convenience than any of the other leading airports in the area: Los Angeles International (LAX), Long Beach, John Wayne, and Ontario.

The previous study was conducted in 1995 which showed an output of $878 million.  

A recent Washington Post article recommended checking Bob Hope Airport and Long Beach for lower air fares than what is typically available at LAX.

The aviation industry helped create jobs growth in Burbank in the 1920s when the industry was still in its infancy. Burbank's prominence in the aviation field was evident during the War when Lockheed's Burbank-built planes helped win the Battle of Britain. The wartime effort of the aviation industry had pushed Burbank's population to 53,899 in 1943.

I’ve only flown in and out of Bob Hope Airport a couple of times since I fly mostly to either the Washington, D.C. area or Pittsburgh when I do fly.

The airport in Burbank is convenient and offers easy access to airline travelers from the San Fernando Valley with over 3-million people or the San Gabriel Valley with over 2-million people.