Atlantic Coast Airlines' (ACA) low-cost offshoot Independence Air has unveiled the 35 airports it will begin serving in a programme to be rolled out between June and September this year.
Tickets for the Washington Dulles-based airline last week went on sale via its website at one-way prices ranging from $39 to $178 plus fees. Independence will initially fly with Bombardier CRJ200s released from ACA as the carrier winds down its United Express operations, but will begin introducing 27 Airbus narrowbodies from September.
Independence Air will next month will kick off a $30 million marketing campaign to promote the airline's "low-cost, high-value, high-frequency service," says chairman and chief executive Kerry Skeen.
Marketing will be expanded when the carrier completes its transition from a Delta Connection and United Express feeder to a low-cost carrier in August. Until then, parent company ACA (which also disappears in August), will operate both feeder and Independence Air regional jet services from its Dulles hub.
Independence Air's new schedule starts with five destinations and 39 frequencies on the 16 June launch date, and expands to 35 destinations and 300 services by 1 September. The airline intends to boost its network to 700 services to 50 cities across the East Coast, Florida and the transcontinental market by 2006, when it should have all its 27 Airbus A319s and 80 Bombardier regional jets.
DARREN SHANNON / WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International
