The last trace of beleaguered startup airline PEOPLExpress is soon to be wiped away from Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport.
Airport officials issued a notice Thursday for the airline to vacate from a building it was using as administrative offices. The airline was allowed to use space for the offices in the airport’s old terminal building rent free, however it had fallen behind on utility bills and other payments to the tune of $18,000, said airport spokeswoman Jessica Wharton.
“They have 10 days to vacate the property,” she said.
Wharton said the airport has not heard anything from the airline since it announced Sept. 26 that all flights would cease because the two planes it was using were no longer operational. The announcement came less than three months after the airline began service on June 30.
“We regret that [the airport’s leadership] consider it necessary to take this step as People Express is working diligently to resume offering flights, once again providing a safe and affordable air travel option for Hampton Roads travelers,” PEOPLExpress Vice President of Marketing and Sales Steve Shatsky said in a statement Thursday. “People Express continues to make progress towards a resumption of service.”
A PEOPLExpress spokesman declined to comment on plans to restart service. The airline initially announced it would restart service by Oct. 16, however that date was soon canceled, and the airline has not provided any other indication of when service may resume.
Airport officials already evicted the airline from the main terminal building, resulting in PEOPLExpress employees removing their signs, computers and other equipment over Veterans Day weekend in November. That eviction was the result of about $100,000 of unpaid fees the airline owes to the airport.
In an Oct. 9 statement, PEOPLExpress President Jeff Erickson said the airline was working with the U.S. Department of Transportation to operate as an indirect air carrier, which would allow it to use planes from multiple airlines to carry passengers. The airline was using two Boeing 737s from Nevada-based Vision Airlines when it was offering flights.
Wharton said Thursday the Peninsula Airport Commission, which oversees operations at the airport, has not taken any legal action against PEOPLExpress and the commission continues to consult with its legal counsel.
PEOPLExpress relaunched with a focus on low-cost, nonstop airfares. When the airline launched, seats were priced at $76 and up, with fees charged for extras like exit row seats, advanced seat assignments and overhead bins. The airport served Newark, Boston, Atlanta, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and St. Petersburg and West Palm Beach in Florida. Service was slated to start to Orlando on Oct. 16.
The service provided by PEOPLExpress was a boon to the airport’s traffic. In August, the airport served 62,735 passengers, compared to the 49,460 passengers served in August 2013, a 27 percent climb.
Ridership was also up 25 percent in July and 42 percent in September. Wharton said in October the increase in ridership was directly attributable to the fledgling airline.
Related Coverage:
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