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2023/2024 United Airlines Flights into Bishop Airport (BIH)

Eastern Sierra Regional Airport is the new entrance gate to California 

Fly to Bishop during summer and winter with the newly established commercial service offering flights from San Francisco and Denver. These seasonal flights connect Bishop to the world and open up a world of adventure for visitors to the Eastern Sierra. Our beautiful big backyard just got bigger as this seasonal service makes access to two of our country’s most beautiful National Parks, Death Valley and Yosemite, easier and quicker.  After a short flight of less than an hour, you could be hiking, fishing, climbing, biking, and sightseeing in minutes.

Commercial flights are available this winter from both San Francisco (SFO) and Denver (DEN). All flights on United will run through early April 2024.

Commercial Flights into Bishop Airport

Please Welcome United Airlines to Eastern Sierra Regional Airport


2023/2024 Air Service to Bishop Airport (BIH) COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS 

December 2023 – April 2024 – WINTER/SPRING
  • San Francisco (SFO-BIH)  AND Denver (DEN-BIH)
 June 27 – September 2024 – SUMMER/FALL
  • San Francisco (SFO-BIH)

For your convenience, there are two United Self Check-In Kiosks.

Additional flights may be added for holiday periods, and all schedules are subject to change.  Please check in 1.5 hours prior to the flight. Gate closes 45 minutes before flight time. 

Air Service to Mammoth Airport (MMH) CHARTER FLIGHTS 

Advanced Air offers public charter service to Mammoth Lakes from Hawthorne (HHR) and Carlsbad (CLD).

Imagine leaving work Friday afternoon, heading to the airport and boarding your flight to Mammoth Lakes without having to deal with TSA and arriving at your winter vacation in record time. That’s the experience you’ll get when you fly on Advanced Airlines, Mammoth Lakes’ newest luxury air service offering service from Southern California to Mammoth Yosemite Airport (45 minutes North of Bishop).

 

 

 

#FLYBISHOPCA #VISITBISHOP. #LOVEEASTERNSIERRA

Bishop Airport Flight Map

Commercial Passenger Air Service

> Read the Blog Post: EVEN EASIER TO GET INTO BISHOP’S BIG BACKYARD – NEW WINTER AIR SERVICE 

Bishop Airport, located 2-miles from town, has a long history of service to private pilots, charter companies, medical evac operations, search and rescue, firefighting, and military training and refueling. Read about the history of the airport here.

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Read and study these pages, download the brochures and maps, and plan a trip to Bishop and the Eastern Sierra. Call us: (760) 873-8405, or email us:  and let us help you choose your future adventure. We look forward to meeting you then!

And don’t forget to check out all our great lodging options.

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Ground Transportation

>> FAQ TRAVEL TO MAMMOTH

ESTA bus service

Several ground transportation options are available from the Bishop Airport.  There are non-hotel shuttle services, cab service, VIP service, local fixed route transit service, and bus/charter service plus Uber & Lyft drivers available.  Check individual providers for availability, schedules, and reservations.

 

MAMMOTH ALL WEATHER SHUTTLE (MAMMOTH) 

Mammoth All Weather Shuttle aka MAWS provides scheduled point-to-point shuttle service. Tickets for a transfer shuttle from the Eastern Sierra Regional Airport to Mammoth Lakes will be available from the Bishop Airport to Mammoth Lakes and returning to BIH. Seats on a shared shuttle can be booked for $65 each way ($130 round trip). Private shuttles are also available for groups of up to 5, 11 or 25 guests.

Advanced reservations are highly recommended. MAWS may be able to accommodate walk-up bookings, however, during busy holiday times, walk-ups cannot be guaranteed. Reserve your shared or private shuttle on the MAWS website.

Call for a MAWS reservation 760-709-2927.

EASTERN SIERRA TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Eastern Sierra Transit provides passenger bus service between and in the rural communities of Inyo and Mono County. Check out the routes and schedule. Need a pick-up? Call Dial-a-Ride. 1-800-922-1930

SIERRA SHUTTLE SERVICE (BISHOP/MAMMOTH)

Book group shuttle service to locations around town, including to and from the airport Mammoth Mountain lodges and more, with Sierra Shuttle Service. Long-distance rides to trailheads and regional destinations are also available. Call to Book your Shuttle 760-914-2746.

Rental cars are the best option if you’re staying in Bishop. Pick up is available at the Eastern Sierra Regional Airport  with Enterprise Car Rentals (93514). Supply is LIMITED, reservations are strongly recommended. Call ahead to confirm your reservation ~ 909-204-1759.

MAMMOTH TAXI 

Get to and from the Bishop Airport to Mammoth Lakes with Mammoth Taxi. Reservations are required for long trips – call Mammoth Taxi 760-924-8294.

UBER/LYFT DRIVERS

Please download the respective app to book a ride.

UBER

LYFT

Airport Services

Bishop Airport Terminal Services

The Terminal opens at 8:00 a.m. and remains open until the last flight of the day clears, typically by 5pm.  Other businesses in the Terminal have different operational hours, as noted for the individual businesses.

  • Restaurant/Lounge
    Thai Thai Restaurant 760-872-2595
    – Offers a sit-down dining experience (MENU)
    – Open Mon & Wed-Fri: 11AM-2PM, 4PM-8PM / Sat, Sun: 3PM-8PM  / Closed Tuesdays
  • WiFi Service Available
  • Charging Stations Limited
  • Water Bottle Filling Station in Gate Area
  • Drinking Fountain in Lobby

Explore Bishop by Air

US Highway 395 is the route that most visitors drive to reach Bishop, but “the infinite highway of the air” is another, more spectacular and almost limitless, approach to Bishop. Flying above the Owens Valley is an experience that leaves an indelible impression on everyone who takes to the skies here. The magnificent topographic features that make Bishop so incredibly photogenic, also make Bishop a unique flying destination.

In addition to this great little airport facility and the near perfect flying conditions for aircraft of all sizes the town has more excellent services for visiting pilots and their family and friends.

The regional bus service, Eastern Sierra Transit Authority (ESTA), is based at Bishop Airport and the dial-a-ride program offers residents and visitors inexpensive and convenient transportation in and around town. ESTA also provides regional town-to-town shuttle routes with regular trips between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes. Bishop boasts 21 great lodging facilities and a host of camping options from full service campgrounds to off-the-grid backcountry locations. And there’s a world of good food in Bishop.

Contact us at the Bishop Visitor Center on (760) 873-8405 or send us an email and let us help you plan your fly-in and flying experience. Reach out to the friendly folks at Bishop Airport on (760) 872-2971 (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and (760) 937-4017 (after hours) for current conditions and more details on airport specifics. For all the technical pilot info visit KBIH page on AirNav.com.

Read about Bishop by Air, Bishop by Land and Bishop by the Water too.


 

Flying the Owens Valley Today

Bishop Airport Today

Today Bishop Airport (KBIH) is owned by the city of Los Angeles and is leased and maintained by Inyo County as a public airport for the region. The airport sees activity from a wide range of aviators and organizations. In addition to serving the local community of private pilots, the airport attracts business from visiting pilots and air charter companies. When needed it is a base for Inyo County Search & Rescue operations and firefighting tanker planes. Fire repellent is stored on site during fire season. A commercial medical evacuation service is based permanently at the airport and is ‘on-call’ 24/7/365. Local, regional and national agencies such as the US Military, US Forest Service, CA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, and utility companies use the airport as a base for refuel and aircraft storage.

Local aviation enthusiasts will often head out to the airport when unusual or interesting aircraft are seen overhead approaching the airport to land. (I do and I’ve seen a DC9, military and coast guard C130 aircraft, USAF Apache, Blackhawk, and Chinook Helicopters, the Sikorski Skycrane, and, one of my favorite sights, the V-22 Osprey.) The airport is located just 2-miles east of the town and it’s a quick drive to visit and make use of the services offered at the Bishop Airport.

Helos at Bishop Airport and, “I got to sit in an Apache.”

It is optimally situated with three long runways offering six directions for safe take-off and landing. One runway is newly refurbished with all new, state-of-the-art, pilot activated, LED lights for night flight. There is no control tower and while the “open airspace” is generally uncrowded, pilot navigational aids are always fully operational for safe flying.

On the ground, the tie-downs are almost unlimited and fuel is very reasonably priced. The small airport building has all the necessary amenities, including a good Thai food restaurant that is well regarded by Bishop locals, and the staff are known to be helpful and friendly.

“We’re a small-town airport, with small-town attitude,” says Ken Babione, the Airport Operations Supervisor, “We take care of the people who come here.”

Bishop as Base

Bishop provides a unique opportunity from which to explore this region by air. A flight of about 1-hour in a light aircraft out of Bishop Airport will present an unforgettable experience and open up a window of wonder over some of the most beautiful sights that this region has to offer.

There is an aviation slang term, “The $100 hamburger,” that refers to a pilot’s excuse for a fun flight of about an hour or more to a destination to eat a burger and then fly home.

Local resident and private pilot, Wayne Sayer, says, “Bishop is a straight shot from the Los Angeles area.” And he adds humorously that, “This makes it the perfect place for the $100 Pad Thai.”

Eureka Valley Sand Dunes

Flying into Bishop can be so much more than just a quick jaunt. It can be the base from which to explore the vast and magnificent Eastern Sierra. Besides services offered for plane owners, Bishop Airport also has charter aircraft and sightseeing flights available. Within one hour, a flying tour can take you past Mt. Whitney, or through Mammoth Pass, or high above the alpine lakes of the Sierra Nevada, or up and down canyons awash with fall colors, or out over the twists and turns of the Owens River, or into Death Valley for lunch at The Oasis. There are also numerous other small airports at which to land and, with the proper planning, pilots and friends can spend a few hours exploring the nearby territory at these lovely Eastern Sierra locations.

Both Babione and Sayer mention the near perfect weather year-round and the magnificent views at every turn and from every angle from the window of an airplane.

“We have 330 days of sunshine a year,” says Babione.

Sayer says, “Early mornings are best and, if you pick your days, the flying is beautiful, smooth and mellow.”