- Image via Wikipedia
Welcome to another additional of roundup. Today we have some continuing news and route developments. Remember, for more details/information, a link appears to a press release or other story inside each notice.
- This week, AirTran announced increases to its winter Florida schedule. Daily flights will be added to both Orlando and Ft. Myers, Fla., beginning December 17 from Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago/Midway, and Columbus, Ohio.
- Officials at Hagerstown Regional Airport in Maryland say they are pleased with increasing passenger numbers. However, the average number of passengers carried from the airport to Baltimore-Washington International on Cape Air is 3. Cape Air operates 9-seater planes four times daily on the route, and is given $1.2 million by the federal government for the subsidy, which seems a lot of money to sustain such a small service. The local paper notes that business travelers seem to be outnumbered by leisure travelers who want to avoid the hassle of driving to and parking at a larger airport.
- Regional carrier Trans-State Airlines has signed a letter of intent for 100 Mitsibushi Regional Jets. The first delivery of an MRJ to any carrier will be in 2014 to ANA. Mitsibushi has never built an entire commercial aircraft before, only parts of one. Like everyone else, we’ll be keeping an eye on this and the plane.
- The $10 Holiday Surcharge has been extended, according to Farecompare, to the following days: Nov. 29 – Nov. 30, 2009; Dec. 19, 2009; Dec. 26 – Dec. 27, 2009; Jan. 2 – Jan. 3, 2010; March 14, 2010; March 20 – March 21, 2010; March 28, 2010; April 11, 2010; and May 28, 2010. So, be prepared.
- Continental Airlines will be adding new daily service from Los Angeles to Maui as well as four times weekly service from Orange County to Honolulu, beginning March 7th. The Orange County service is planned to increase to daily for the summer. Continental also serves Hawaii with daily flights from New York, Houston and Guam. Beginning Dec. 18, Continental will also operate twice-weekly service between Honolulu and Nadi, Fiji.
- Cincinnati is once again being shrunk by Delta. How long before there is no hub there at all, despite what Delta Air Lines says? The following cities will lose one flight a day.
- November 30th – Greensboro
- December 15th – Milwaukee
- December 16th – Hartford, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Northwest Arkansas, St Louis, Tri-Cities (Tennessee)
- January 4th – Tulsa (loses its only flight)
- American Airlines is relaunching year-round nonstop service from Washington-Dulles Airport to San Juan, PR, effective Nov. 19. Service will be once daily on a 737-800.
- The Panama City – Bay County International Airport has decided to rename itself Northwest Florida – Panama City International Airport. “After listening to extensive feedback and gathering suggestions from the community, we decided to go with a name that reflects the geographic area the new airport will serve.” Now, this is an airport that not only isn’t open(it is being built), but has no commitment to be served. We call that a bit optimistic. Hopefully it will work out though.
- American Eagle will begin nonstop service from Chicago-O’Hare to Sioux City, IA on April 6th. Service is to be three times daily service operated by 50-seat CRJs. Seasonal service to Rapid City, IA begins June 10th and will run twice daily through September 24th.
- Frontier Airlines announced an increase in service to Mexico this season out of its Denver hub. The new flights begin Dec. 19th.
- DEN-CUN – increases from seven to 10 flights per week with new flights on Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday
- DEN-CZM – increases from three to four flights per week with a new flight on Sunday and additional capacity on Saturday
- DEN-PVR – increases from seven to eight flights per week with additional flight on Saturday
- DEN-SJD – increases from seven to eight flights per week with additional flight on Saturday
- Westjet is launching new Calgary to Honolulu service beginning March 7th through April 25th(Sundays only), and between Calgary and Maui between March 6th and May 1st(Saturdays only). They are also launching service from Edmonton to Maui, on Fridays, from March 5th through April 30th.
