Lancaster airport in Pennsylvania will see the return of commercial service when Cape Air inaugurates five daily roundtrips to Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) on 24 March.
The airport, located in the heart of Amish Country, was served by US Airways Express until the carrier ceased operating nonstop to Pittsburgh in September 2007.
Tickets for Cape Air's nine-seat Cessna 402 service linking Lancaster with BWI went on sale this week. The first five seats of each aircraft will sell for a total $49 each way. The most expensive fare, for walk-ups, will be no greater than $62 one-way, says Lancaster Airport Authority finance and marketing director Joyce Opp.
Cape Air holds interline agreements with almost all major US carriers flying from BWI, except Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways. As such, travellers will be able to purchase a single ticket when flying from Lancaster to BWI and onward to another destination. Continental Airlines will handle Cape Air passengers' baggage at BWI.
Opp notes that passengers flying outbound from Lancaster and connecting at BWI to one of Cape Air's partners will not have to pay any checked baggage fees.
The airport is optimistic that this amenity coupled with Lancaster airport's free parking and the savings that can be achieved by taking air service to BWI instead of driving will incentivize travellers to book flights from Lancaster.
A $1.3 million federal subsidy will support the Lancaster-BWI service for six months, through 30 September, but Cape Air is responsible for hiring the pilots, and putting the appropriate infrastructure in place, says Opp.
"The enthusiasm for this service is bigger than what we've seen in the past. We are hopeful the service will become self-sufficient in a few years," says Opp.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
