Charter Airline to Start Service at Airport
Yet another airline plans to operate a commercial service out of Long Beach Airport, which has long had the reputation of being one of Southern California’s most underutilized airports.
WINAIR, a charter airline based in Salt Lake City, announced Friday that beginning Nov. 1 it plans to offer daily commercial flights to Seattle, Sacramento, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Oakland.
“We are really excited to be teaming up with the city of Long Beach,” said airline spokesperson Kelly G. Archibald.
The airline, which still needs U.S. Department of Transportation approval of the plan, said it hopes to begin service with 10 to 12 flights daily. The goal is to go up to 29 flights a day--the maximum allowed at the airport--within six months, Archibald said.
Alaska Airlines, Sun Jet, Presidential and Sterling are among the airlines that have established service in Long Beach, only to pull out. America West Airlines and American Airlines each offer one flight a day from Long Beach.
Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill and other city officials have been negotiating the WINAIR agreement.
“We have been searching for an airline that would fit the needs of Long Beach residents,” O’Neill said. “WINAIR is that airline.”
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