OXNARD : United Express to End Commuter Service in February

United Express will discontinue its commuter airline service from Oxnard Airport on Feb. 13 because of meager passenger loads, the Fresno-based air carrier has announced.

United Express’ departure will leave American Eagle as the sole airline operating from Ventura County’s commercial airport.

The cutback has already affected United Express’ operations at Oxnard Airport, where a single employee struggled Friday to complete the tasks usually handled by a crew of five.

“One by one they’re leaving me here,” Michelle Ardis said after unloading one flight and sprinting back to the ticket counter to check in passengers for the next. Most other United Express employees in Oxnard have already transferred to other airports.

A stagnant economy and low fares combined to make the three daily flights between Oxnard and Los Angeles unprofitable, said Mark Peterson, a spokesman for WestAir Commuter Airlines Inc., the parent company of United Express.

At the same time, United Express, which serves as a shuttle for United Airlines, increased flights on its more popular routes.

The move follows United Express’ decision last October to discontinue its daily flight between Oxnard and San Francisco.

Passenger loads at Oxnard had dwindled to below 40% of capacity during last summer’s peak travel season, well below the 45% to 50% level needed to cover operational costs, Peterson said.

“When the economy has gone south as it has, we had to make sure we’re as efficient as we can be,” Peterson said. “In this economy, it looks like Oxnard is a one-airline market.”

Peterson said that fierce competition among airlines in the Los Angeles-San Francisco corridor has driven fares down and made low passenger volumes unprofitable.

“When you operate a 19-seat plane on that route, it’s difficult to capture the revenues to cover the cost,” Peterson said.

American Eagle serves as a shuttle for American Airlines, its parent. American Airlines spokesman Ed Martelle, in a telephone interview from the airline’s Dallas headquarters, said American Eagle should be able to handle the extra traffic during the economic slowdown.

“It’s not as if passengers are clamoring to get aboard,” Martelle said.