Alaska Airlines is increasing its presence at Redmond Airport with three new daily flights to California destinations starting in January.

The Seattle-based airline announced Wednesday that it will offer once-a-day flights to and from Los Angeles International Airport and San Diego on Jan. 7, as well as daily service to San Francisco on March 19. This will be the first flight from the Redmond Airport to San Diego, making the Southern California city Redmond’s 10th destination.

“We’re excited to offer even more nonstops between vibrant Pacific Northwest communities and our growing hubs in California,” Brett Catlin, Alaska Airlines’ managing director of capacity planning and alliances, stated in a press release.

Daily flights from Redmond to San Francisco and Los Angeles are already provided by United and American airlines, respectively. But Alaska Airlines providing more options is a plus for Central Oregon travelers, said Zachary Bass, director of the airport. The airline currently flies to just Seattle and Portland.

“This gives the option to the customer of which flight they’d like to fly,” he said. “And sometimes in the long run, when you see competition in the market, you usually see fares decrease.”

According to Bass, Alaska Airlines makes up 43% of all commercial flights coming in and out of Redmond. He said the airline has a lot of dedicated customers in Central Oregon.

Alaska’s announcement comes on the heels of other new destinations being offered in Redmond this year. In June, United Airlines began seasonal flights to Chicago from Redmond, and Allegiant will begin flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix in October.

— Reporter: 541-617-7854, jhogan@bendbulletin.com

Editor’s note: This article has been corrected, due to incorrect information provided to The Bulletin. The original version misstated when the San Diego flight would begin. The Bulletin regrets the error.