A separate report by TurnTo23 described rising jet fuel prices as a factor pushing airfares up nationwide, with smaller airports such as Meadows Field particularly affected. That report offers context, but it does not establish what caused the fare levels or increases in ConsumerVoice’s analysis.
ConsumerVoice’s analysis put the average ticket price at Meadows Field at about $634, compared with a reported national average of $441. The analysis ranked the Bakersfield airport fifth for airfare among the nation’s 200 busiest airports, according to KGET 17 News.
In KGET’s account of the study, Meadows Field also had the highest average fare among California’s major airports. The analysis cited lower fares at San Francisco International, Los Angeles International, John Wayne Airport-Orange County and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International. Nationally, only Tallahassee International, Gainesville Regional, Augusta Regional at Bush Field and Lafayette Regional ranked above Meadows Field.
The analysis reported a 16% year-over-year increase at Meadows Field, against an 11% rise in average domestic airfare nationwide. Those figures show a larger increase locally, but the reporting cited here does not identify its specific cause.
