News Briefs – Post-Thanksgiving Edition

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• For the first time in the United States, an airport is being built for commercial service completely without government funding. This new airport will be in Branson, Missouri, which receives 8.4 million visitors a year for its shows and conventions. The nearest airport is over an hour away in Springfield, and lacks low-fare service, and thus only 5% of the 5.4 million who come from over 300 miles away fly. No airline is yet signed on to fly to Branson when it opens next spring, but the officials there are optimistic one is coming. For more information on specifics, click here.
• Southwest is trying to give up gates at BWI. It manages 24 gates at the airport, and is trying to “optimize operations” at the airport.
• Mokulele Airlines had its first jet flight from Honolulu to Lihue on the 19th of November. The flights are operated by Republic Airways 70-seat E-170 regional jets. Under the new jet service, the airline has nine round-trip flights a day scheduled from Honolulu to Lihue, with eight on Sunday; five round-trip flights a day from Honolulu to Kona with four on Sunday; and three one-stop flights between Kona and Lihue. Beginning March 1, seven daily flights are scheduled from Honolulu to Kahului, with six on Sunday. Five flights will be offered early next year from Honolulu to Hilo.
• Eclipse, which pioneered the market for very light jets, filed for bankruptcy protection.
• Boeing, which has been having trouble due to labor disputes and other issues delaying its 787 Dreamliner program, is going to have to recall nearly 400 737 aircrafts due to a 73 cent item. Boeing learned that a 73 cent nutplate didn’t have the proper anti-corrosive coating on its surface. The company has yet to declare what the costs of this snafu will be.
• AirTran will be charging $15 for the first checked bag, matching most other airlines, for travel starting this coming Friday, for passengers who booked on or before November 11th.
• WestJet is increasing flight frequencies to sunny destinations this winter, including Montreal to Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, Calgary to Puerto Vallarta, and Vancouver to Mazatlan. It is also adding nonstop short-season service from Ottawa to Ft. Lauderdale, which will operate from January 8th to January 26th. The service might be extended if popular. Westjet calls the service a nonstop gondola ride to the “Venice of America.”
• US Airways is jumping on the Obama bandwagon and adding frequencies to all three Washington-DC airports for the inauguration. For more details, click here.

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