2021/22 Winter Season Air Service – Fly to Bishop

Fly to Bishop – new this season! Commercial flights into Bishop Airport (BIH) connect with cities all over the world.  United Airlines moved all commercial flights to Eastern Sierra Regional Airport/Bishop (BIH) located just 2 miles east of Bishop, CA. The move to Bishop,  a scenic 45 miles south of Mammoth Lakes, allows United Airlines to  improve the reliability of service and expand to offer daily flights. During the winter months, guests can take advantage of nonstop flights from 3 major hubs; Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver. Stay tuned about summer flights.

Fly to Bishop map

PLEASE WELCOME UNITED AIRLINES

Starting December 19, 2021, United Airlines will fly direct from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO) and Denver (DEN) into Bishop, CA. Now closer than ever before, guests can connect to Eastern Sierra Regional Airport/Bishop (BIH), from major U.S. and international cities to Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, the Owens River, Buttermilk Country, Bishop Creek, Death Valley and Eastern Sierra adventures abound.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 flight. Gate closes 45 minutes before flight time. 

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 Weekdays 11AM-2PM, 4PM-8PM, Weekend 3PM-8PM
  • WiFi Service Available
  • Charging Stations Limited
  • Water Bottle Filling Station in Gate Area
  • Drinking Fountain in Lobby

Parking

  • Day Parking – FREE
  • Pick Up/Drop Off – FREE
  • Bishop Airport provides both short-term and long-term parking. Check back on overnight and monthly rates.

Ground Transportation

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.

Shuttle

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.

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

Rental Cars

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 and National Car Rental. Supply is LIMITED, reservations are strongly recommended. Call ahead to confirm your reservation! National Car Rental 760-709-4214  | Enterprise Car Rental 909-204-1759

Taxi

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

Fly to Bishop – Explore Bishop By Air

Default Alt Tag for this page

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.

Default Alt Tag for this page

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.”

Default Alt Tag for this page

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.”