Ogden • For many Utahns, Ogden is the first stop to “the happiest place on Earth.”

And more destinations could be on the horizon.

The Ogden-Hinckley Airport — which offers twice-weekly flights to California’s John Wayne Airport, a mere 20 minutes away from Disneyland — was recently revamped. The multimillion-dollar upgrade, fueled by money from the Federal Aviation Administration and the city, brought a sparkling modern look to the airport, passengers have said, and it’s also captured interest beyond Weber County.

Mountain Green resident and Morgan County Commissioner Raelene Blocker flew out of the airport on May 4, and said her family uses Ogden-Hinckley often since they like to travel to California.

“It’s just so easy to get here; there’s not long lines,” Blocker said. “We really want to promote it more to Morgan County as well, so they will open up more flights, so we can go to more areas and not have to drive to Salt Lake or to Provo.”

The airport opened an indoor baggage carousel this month, and after the grand opening, crowds of passengers carrying Disneyland souvenirs crowded around it to await their luggage.

The airport’s close proximity to Salt Lake City makes Ogden more of a leisure market to fun destinations — not for business travelers who need to travel all over the world, airport manager Brian Condie said.

That’s what makes the twice-weekly flights to Orange County, which are operated by Utah-based Breeze Airways, perfect for the area, he said. Targeting destinations like that is what will help the airport grow, he added.

“There’s three things needed to expand commercial flights, and the airport’s only in control of one, and that’s the facility,” Condie said. “Then there’s the catch basin: how many people in northern Utah would use it? … And the third one is the scheduling of the aircraft through the airline.”

The latter two factors are up to airlines, Condie said, so they can determine whether the market can support additional flights. The Ogden airport is working with Breeze to offer more routes, and negotiations are always ongoing, Condie said.

Before Breeze, Allegiant Air operated commercial flights through the airport, but halted service in 2022 due to a pilot shortage and the expansion of the Provo Airport, where it still offers flights.

Upgrades to the Ogden airport were in progress when Breeze started service there, airline spokesperson Ryne Williams said. The airport has been an “amazing partner,” and the improvements have made for a great guest experience, Williams added — especially when it comes to parking, which is $5 per day.

“It’s a cheaper option when it comes to parking, shorter TSA wait times,” Williams said. “You get it at an affordable price with a really good onboard product… it really improves the experience for guests who are looking for a more convenient and affordable option.”

Williams couldn’t say what destinations could come to the Ogden airport — or when more flights might be offered there — but said if the need is there, then Breeze may pursue expanding its services.

“We would definitely look at those opportunities, whether that’s potentially a new destination or potentially upping the frequency of the current [California] route,” Williams said. “When the community shows that demand and kind of shows us there’s that interest, those are things that we look into as a potential moving forward. “

Local officials know demand is the key to expansion, and the Ogden-Hinckley Airport is a member of both the Davis County Chamber of Commerce and the Weber County Chamber of Commerce. Angie Osguthorpe, president of the Davis County chamber, said she and other members have been working to increase exposure for the airport.

“The airlines, once they see there’s interest and everything, then we will get more — and that’s in all of our best interests,” Osguthorpe said. “It’s inexpensive, the building is beautiful…I can just see only growth coming.”

For now, Breeze and Ogden-Hinckley are a great match, Williams said.

“We want to make travel a lot easier and just more convenient and affordable for our guests,” Williams said. “Whether they’re in Weber, Davis County, or in Salt Lake County, or Utah County, that’s kind of our goal, and our whole mission is ‘nice people flying nice people to nice places.’ And I know it can sound kind of cheesy, but that’s really who we are down to our core.”