Flights to and from Reno now available at Fresno Yosemite International Airport

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A new flight with service to and from Reno Tahoe International Airport arrived at Fresno Yosemite International Airport Wednesday afternoon.

On board, people like Richard Walker were the first to step foot on the tarmac.

"I'm just glad it's here," he said. "It saved me a lot of time today. Normally, a five or six-hour flight with stops in Frisco or LA, so it's a good opportunity."

The company he works for is based in Fresno, but he lives in Reno.

It's an exciting day for Fresno's airport, bringing in new business and offering more flight options to locals.

Aha! says it's been a long time coming and it's excited to be offering this new service.

"Spoken to passengers who say it's a grueling six or seven-hour drive without traffic, so now we're providing that service to them to ease that tasking of driving," says Michael Miskel with Express Jet.

That's what excited many travelers heading out of Fresno this afternoon on Aha's inaugural flight to Reno.

"I used to go there a lot but we've always driven, so this is the first time flying," says Kali Herring. "It's cool that it's just the one straight shot."

She's spending her birthday in Reno this week, so that time saved in the air means more time to enjoy the celebration.

Wheels up for this first flight - it will be back from Reno on Friday.