AirTran to Leave SWF!

[ahazzard1289]

Hi Guys,

My boss called me with this news, and I didnt believe her. Air tran is leaving come September 3rd. Devistating huh! Now there are rumors of jetBlue doing the same.

Anthony

[maem01]

I hope JetBlue does not leave or at least not before I fly to Ft Lauderdale on Sept 13 and back Sept 27 !

[Iberia A340-600]

This is not good at all for the progress of the airport. If Jet Blue leaves that will be a big, big blow!

[maem01]

Just checked AirTran's website and yes they are not allowing any bookings from Sept 4th from SWF to ATL.

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

Gosh, I hope this doesn't effect DL's schedule at SWF. That will really suck! As long as they don't do it before I leave Patterson on tuesday lol.

First Daytona Beach, now SWF! Maybe SWF will remain a seasonal route? Daytona Beach service is just suspended until next year as of now.

[ahazzard1289]

I don not think Delta's going anywhere for now. Although them and US Airways cut back their Saturday service permanently. They both eliminated their last flights of the night. The last departure out of SWF on Saturdays from now on is 4:10PM.

[mirrodie]

Also just heard Airtran pulled out of EWR?

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

It is Official:


NEW WINDSOR - AirTran Airways will cease service at Stewart International Airport as of Sept. 3. High fuel costs have led to mounting losses for the low-fare airline, officials said.


There was no formal announcement, said Judy Graham-Weaver, public relations manager for the low-fare airline.

"Yes, unfortunately it is true. Due to skyrocketing fuel costs," she said in an e-mail.

Tad Hutcheson, AirTran vice president of marketing, said, "We've had continued mounting losses there and we just can't continue."

U.S. Rep. John Hall, D-Dover, in an e-mail urged AirTran Airways to continue flights.

Hall, vice chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, said he has offered to work with the company to ensure a continuation of services at Stewart would be beneficial to both AirTran and Hudson Valley residents.

"With the increased congestion in the New York area over the last few years, and the recent decision by the FAA to install a cap-based system at the major New York City airports, I fully expect the importance of Stewart to expand greatly in the near future," Hall wrote.

AirTran is one of the two main carriers serving Stewart, sharing responsibility with JetBlue Airways for a near-tripling of passengers using the airport in 2007.

AirTran flies from Stewart to Atlanta, Ga. and to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa in Florida. It began Stewart service on Jan. 11, 2007.

A total of 315,555 people flew on AirTran flights in the 12 months ended in March, according to data posted by Stewart's operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. JetBlue had 357,399.

The Port Authority said in a statement it was disappointed.

"But as airport stewards for more than half a century, we know that this is a remarkably resilient industry," the statement said.

AirTran will become the second airline to leave the airport this year.

Skybus Airlines had a brief Stewart run going to Columbus, Ohio, and Greensboro, N.C. but went out of business after April 14, citing rising fuel costs.

Across the country, airlines have been scaling back the number of flights and canceling routes, citing higher fuel costs.

The Air Transport Association, which represents the larger carriers, stated recently: "The portion of an airline ticket needed to pay for fuel has risen from 15 percent in 2000 to 40 percent in 2008 - and it continues to climb. Airline stock analysts suggest that to survive - not to make a profit - the industry will have to reduce capacity by about 20 percent, which means fewer flights, more crowded flights, fewer hubs, elimination of all air service to some smaller cities - with devastating economic consequences to local economies."

[Tom_Turner]

Rep John Hall.

I believe this is/was the lead singer (and guitar player?) for the band Orleans, that had the number 1 single, as they used to say, for "Still the One". Before that, they performed a song that was recorded by King Harvest - "Dancing in the Moonlight".

Anyway, unless oil comes down, there will be no need to cap flights at EWR or JFK... so much of the justification for Stewart's "expansion" will be gone.

Tom


It is Official:


NEW WINDSOR -

U.S. Rep. John Hall, D-Dover, in an e-mail urged AirTran Airways to continue flights.

Hall, vice chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, said he has offered to work with the company to ensure a continuation of services at Stewart would be beneficial to both AirTran and Hudson Valley residents.

"With the increased congestion in the New York area over the last few years, and the recent decision by the FAA to install a cap-based system at the major New York City airports, I fully expect the importance of Stewart to expand greatly in the near future," Hall wrote.

[maem01]

Interestingly the Journal News mentioned the following when talking about them going:

"AirTran, which began service at Stewart on Jan. 11, 2007, ranks No. 2 in passengers at the airport, serving 315,555 people over a 12-month period that ended in March"

The JetBlue website is still selling tickets for the Sept 13 - 27 which I hope to fly.

[Iberia A340-600]

Interestingly the Journal News mentioned the following when talking about them going:

"AirTran, which began service at Stewart on Jan. 11, 2007, ranks No. 2 in passengers at the airport, serving 315,555 people over a 12-month period that ended in March"

The JetBlue website is still selling tickets for the Sept 13 - 27 which I hope to fly.

With AirTran pulling out of SWF it leaves Jet Blue in a much better position so I doubt they'll be pulling out anytime soon.

[Matt Molnar]

Anyway, unless oil comes down, there will be no need to cap flights at EWR or JFK... so much of the justification for Stewart's "expansion" will be gone.
That was my first thought, but Port's statement re: AirTran = "We're staying the course!" Would it really surprise anyone if Port spent half a billion upgrading an airport that might end up having a half dozen commercial flights a day?

[T-Bird76]

AirTran has a history of stating a new city only to drop it a few months later. They don't stay in a market long if they aren't making money, so no surprise. jetBlue hasn't said it will cut any cities for the rest of 08 just defering aircraft to reduce and slow capcity.

[Tom_Turner]

Anyway, unless oil comes down, there will be no need to cap flights at EWR or JFK... so much of the justification for Stewart's "expansion" will be gone.
That was my first thought, but Port's statement re: AirTran = "We're staying the course!" Would it really surprise anyone if Port spent half a billion upgrading an airport that might end up having a half dozen commercial flights a day?

Wouldn't surprise me at all. The deal was sealed when the high speed rail wasn't built 40 years ago... I could perhaps see Port appeasing Teterboro & surrounding NJ townships by trying to push half the bizjets to Stewart, but I bet they'd get push back from the local community upstate NY.

Tom

[maem01]

So we now know the outcome of Airtran leaving SWF on the JetBlue service. Without any competion on the Florida routes they have now cut the daily service by 50%.

When I booked SWF - FLL Sept 13-27, there were 2 flights to choose from, an early morning and a late evening. I booked early morning so we can drive in the daylight to the Keys.

Today I got an e-mail telling me that I was rebooked onto the early evening flight. When I checked there website, there was no flights available for Sept 13-27, so I phoned their call center.

It turns out that all early morning flights are now cancelled and everyone has been moved to the early evening flights. When you try and book a flight to FLL then JetBlue has no seats available from Sept 3 - end of the month, all fully booked.

Cut capacity by 50% and have all the people flying with Airtran coming over, then all you planes will leave full but now we will need to have a night at an hotel and lose a day from our vacation?

[ahazzard1289]

Last edited by Phil D. on Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
Please do not use all caps in thread titles. -Moderator

It is clearly obvious that not ALL letters are capitalized. Why can other members capitalize SWF and get away with it? I am slightly confused.