PeoplExpress: Flying again
Cheap fares. Packed planes. Bare bones service.
No, this is not a description of today’s airline situation.
It’s what the old People Express promised more than 30 years ago.
If regulators agree, the name will be back this summer. Of course the return of this particular no-frills air carrier raises the question of whether this time it will make it.
PeoplExpress Airlines announced that it will be headquartered at Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport in southeastern Virginia. The airline plans to offer flights on the East Coast this summer.
But it still needs two things: approval from the US government. And it also needs funding.
Initial destinations are expected to be Pittsburgh, Newark, N.J. and West Palm Beach, Fla.
"Chief Operating Officer Michael Morisi, who worked at the original airline, says the airline won’t ever fly to large cities served by other airlines," said the AP.
The original People Express called overexpansion one of its fatal mistakes. At the time, Morisi was responsible for opening up several domestic and international destinations, including London and Los Angeles, adds the AP.
The old People Express was once the country’s fifth largest airline. It flew from 1981 to 1987. It had fares as low as US$19. Eventually, Continental swallowed up its routes.
Over 100 airlines have filed for bankruptcy or stopped operating in the past three decades.
Morisi says he intends to serve niche markets that are currently underserved or those that have lost service altogether because of industry consolidation.
"I think we can build a very nice operation serving dozens of cities and never really encroach on some of the major hub cities that other carriers are dominant in," he said in an interview.
Also, by using airplanes that have 158 seats, Morisi said he can offer lower fares than regional airlines that may only have 70 or 80 seats.
Fares could be as low as $69, and that will include two checked bags, a nearly forgotten concept in domestic airline travel.
"There’s no question. We will be significantly lower-priced than our competitors," he said.
By David Wilkening
David
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