By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
United Express from Stockton start next week
STK Airport

Starting a week from today Manteca-Lathrop-Ripon residents can take a drive of less than 20 minutes to catch connecting flights that will take them to more than 300 cities worldwide from New York City to Tokyo.

United Airlines’ first flight from Los Angeles International Airport will touch down at 2:22 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, at Stockton Metro Airport that is an 8½ mile drive from downtown Manteca via Airport Way.

United Airlines is offering two connecting flights daily to Los Angeles. United Airlines Express flights through its partnership with SkyWest will be using the 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 featuring a center aisle with two seats on each side.

The seven-day-a-week flights will depart Stockton at 7:41 a.m. and arrive at LAX at 9:10 a.m. as well as depart at 3 p.m. and arrive at LAX at 4:20 p.m.

Flights from Los Angeles to Stockton depart at 1 p.m. and arrive at 2:22 p.m. as well as departing at 5:10 p.m. and arriving at 6:32 p.m.

“Due to our region’s growth in the last decade, dedicated daily service to a large hub international airport is truly welcome and will benefit literally thousands of travelers and businesses now residing in our region,” said Stockton Metropolitan Airport Director, Russell Stark. “Our hope and desire is this service will be the beginning of new service to other destinations in the near future.”

Allegiant Airlines offers passenger flights to and from Phoenix/Mesa, San Diego, and Las Vegas from Stockton as well. The airport also has a growing number of daily Amazon Prime flights.

A ribbon cutting is planned on Aug. 16 at 8 a.m. at the airport, 5000 S. Airport Way, Stockton. A First Flight Party behins at 2 p.m. complete with a water cannon.

 The drive to Stockton Metro from Del Webb via Airport Way is less than 10 minutes. It is 15 minutes from downtown Manteca. You don’t have to fight freeway traffic. Day parking is free and overnight parking is $10 a night. You also literally walk yards to ticketing and the boarding area from your vehicle or a curbside drop-off. And security screening is a breeze. Try comparing that to airports in Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland, or San Francisco.

If you live in Ripon the quickest way to reach Stockton Metro is to take Highway 99 to Arch Road and head west. From Lathrop, the fastest route is Interstate 5 to the Sperry Road exit and drive east. Sperry Road and Arch Road eventually become the same street and will take you to Airport Way where Stockton Metro is on the southeast corner of the intersection.

You can now book round trip flights on the United Airlines site at united.com, using the United mobile app, or by calling United Reservations at 800.864.8331. The cost of a roundtrip flight is $185.