Starting June 30, upstart airline PEOPLExpress will offer direct service from Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport to Boston, Newark and Pittsburgh.
In the following months, the airline will add service to Atlanta, New Orleans and two Florida cities: St. Petersburg and West Palm Beach. Service to West Palm Beach will begin July 15, with Atlanta beginning Aug. 1 and New Orleans and St. Petersburg beginning Aug. 28. Fares will be as low as $76.
Officials from the airline and airport hosted an event Friday at the airport to commemorate the launch of the new service, attracting Gov. Terry McAuliffe and numerous local politicians along with business and industry figures.
“This is how we grow and diversify the economy,” McAuliffe told the crowd, saying there is not a region in the globe that can compete with Hampton Roads when everybody works together. He said the addition of the airline will add new opportunities for business and tourism in the area, a sentiment shared by many of the attendees.
The governor praised the airline, noting it takes “a lot of fortitude and courage” to start an airline.
“We are going to unlock this region,” McAuliffe said. “Working together, we are going to take Hampton Roads to a level never seen before.”
The airline will initially operate with three Boeing 737 jets operated by Vision Airlines. The jets will have seating for 150, with 138 coach seats and 12 “Living Large” seats, which feature more personal space for a fee. Both the coach and the “Living Large” seats will receive the same level of in-flight service. Beverages will be available for a fee, though snacks are complimentary.
The fee structure extends throughout much of the PEOPLExpress experience. PEOPLExpress Chief Executive Officer Jeff Erickson referred to the fees as an a la carte menu for travelers, who can pay extra for such perks as priority boarding, prearranged seating and the wider seat. Fees are set at $59 for “Living Large” seats, $25 for exit row seats, $15 for advance seat assignments and $25 for overhead bins for carry-on bags. The first checked piece of luggage will cost $20 and the second will cost $25.
“The whole underlaying theme of PEOPLExpress is to focus on markets with a history of proven air travel that have for some reason or another [lost airline service],” Erickson said. Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport suffered a major blow in 2012 when AirTran stopped service. AirTran made up 43 percent of the airport’s market in 2010.
Erickson said the airline will look to focus on cities with proven airline traffic that are currently underserved. He said PEOPLExpress will have created about 750 jobs by next year. He said the airline has currently created nearly 200 jobs.
“When you think about competing with markets like Orlando and Las Vegas, it’s really easy to get there,” said Busch Gardens Park President and Williamsburg Area Destination Marketing Committee Chairman Carl Lum. “So we want to make New York visitors have the same level of access [to the Historic Triangle].”
Lum identified New York as a major contributor to tourism in the Historic Triangle. He said 98 percent of visitors to the area drive here, so the new airline could help open a new flow of tourists to the area.
“We want to be in growth mode, so you need things like this,” he said.
Karen Riordan, the president and CEO of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance, said the presence of the new airline is a positive development for the area. She said she likes the cities the airline is planning to serve, especially Newark — which provides access to the New York market — and Atlanta.
Sen. John Miller (D-1) represents the district containing the airport in the Virginia legislature. He said the new airline will provide a boost for tourists and the business community.
“The folks at the airport have been working very hard to bring back another carrier, and I think they hit a home run,” Miller said. “This will provide travelers with a great service at a low cost.”
Del. Monty Mason (D-93) joined Miller in praising Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport Executive Director Ken Spirito.
“This opens up an opportunity for business people and locals to be able to access areas from the Peninsula as well as bring people to the area,” Mason said.
At the start of service, PEOPLExpress will offer two daily round-trip flights to Newark and one daily round-trip flight to both Boston and Pittsburgh. West Palm Beach will receive one daily round-trip, with Atlanta receiving one daily round-trip everyday but Tuesday. St. Petersburg will have three weekly roundtrips and New Orleans will have three weekly flights.
Tickets go on sale June 4.
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