In a flurry of press releases to local papers, ExpressJet (XJT) began rolling out its new point-to-point service to 24 cities across the West, Southwest and Midwest which launches in April. Its plans call for adding nearly 1,000 employees, and $9 million in investments in airport facilities and equipment. It is also putting maintenance bases at Austin and Ontario, the latter of which will also have a crew base and the busiest schedule to 14 cities served with 29 planned departures.
It plans on investing over $2 million in a new repair and maintenance base at Ontario, where it also plans to hire 100 agents, 160, three-person crews and 50 mechanics and invest $1.3 million in airport facilities and equipment. Another $6.2 million in airport facilities and equipment in allotments between $200,000 to $550,000 will be invested at Oklahoma City, Fresno, Spokane, Corpus Christi, Bakersfield, Sacramento, Albuquerque, Kansas City, Austin, Tucson, Boise, Monterey, Colorado Springs, El Paso, and Tulsa. Its largest investment, besides Ontario, will be San Antonio where will it will hire 35 and invest $700,000. Austin comes in second with plans to hire 60 and invest $600,000.
Raleigh, Jacksonville, Birmingham, Omaha, and Louisville are part of its phase two launch operations. Consequently, employee numbers have yet to be decided. However, Express Jet plans to handle itself at these points which will need airport sales agents.
The markets, with mostly business traffic, are not big enough for larger equipment than the 44 Embraer (ERJ) 50-seaters the airline plans to use. Its market study showed demand at second-tier and non-hub cities will take the 50-seat in low-frequency operations. They also avoid the large, major carrier strongholds. Because these are largely business markets, Express Jet expects to garner higher priced passengers. It does, however, expect to equal the fares for low-cost carriers one-stops. USA Today noted the Ontario-Albuquerque fare at $94 to $144 one way, is the same for Southwest’s one-stop service.
Services will include nonstop service between:
--San Antonio International Airport and Albuquerque, Tucson, Los Angeles/Ontario, Calif., Sacramento, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Raleigh/Durham.
--Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport and Albuquerque, Austin, Los Angeles/Ontario, San Diego, San Antonio and Sacramento; 20 employees, $550,000 investment.
--Fresno Yosemite International Airport and LA/Ontario and San Diego; 12 employees and $400,000 investment.
--Birmingham International Airport and New Orleans and Raleigh/Durham.
--Jacksonville International Airport and Austin, Kansas City, New Orleans and Raleigh/Durham.
--Omaha’s Eppley Airfield and San Diego and Los Angeles/Ontario, Calif.
--Spokane International Airport (GEG) and Los Angeles/Ontario, Calif., San Diego and Sacramento; 20 employees; $400,000 investment; Airport officials estimated adding non-stop service will increase passenger traffic by 26% percent for those new city pairs.
--Corpus Christi International Airport and Austin; 10 employees, $200,000 investment.
--Bakersfield (BFL) and San Diego; nine employees.
--Sacramento International Airport and Spokane, Colorado Springs, Tucson, San Antonio, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City and Tulsa; 20 employees; $450,000 investment. Airport officials estimated a three percent to five percent increase in airport traffic with the new flights.  ---Louisville International Airport (SDF) and Kansas City, Mo., and Raleigh/Durham.
--Raleigh/Durham International Airport and Birmingham, Jacksonville, Fla., Louisville, Kansas City, Mo., New Orleans and San Antonio.
--Albuquerque International and Los Angeles/Ontario, Sacramento, Austin, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and San Antonio; 20 employees; $450,000 investment. Airport officials said that three of the new destinations are among the "top ten" most desired routes for Albuquerque and estimated they would increase traffic by three to five percent.
--Kansas City International Airport and Austin, Jacksonville, Fla., New Orleans, Raleigh/Durham, Louisville, Los Angeles/Ontario, and Tucson; 30 employees; $450,000 investment
--Austin/Bergstrom International Airport and LA/Ontario, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Kansas City, Mo., Albuquerque, Tucson, Corpus Christi, New Orleans, and Jacksonville.
--Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and Austin, San Antonio, Kansas City, Mo., Birmingham, Jacksonville, and Raleigh/Durham.
--Tucson International Airport and Los Angeles/Ontario, Sacramento, Austin, Kansas City, Mo., and San Antonio; 20 employees; $450,000 investment.
--Boise Airport (BOI) and Los Angeles/Ontario and San Diego; 10 employees; $320,000 investment. .
--Monterey Peninsula Airport (MRY) and Los Angeles/Ontario, Calif. and San Diego; 12 employees; $500,000 investment.
--Colorado Springs Airport and Los Angeles/Ontario, San Diego and Sacramento; 12 employees; $525,000 investment. Airport officials estimated that the new non-stop service will increase traffic by 7.4 percent annually.
--El Paso International Airport and Los Angeles/Ontario International Airport; 10 employees; $450,000 investment. .
--Tulsa International Airport and Albuquerque, Austin, Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles/Ontario, and San Antonio; 24 employees; $600,000 investment.
--LA/Ontario International Airport and Albuquerque, Austin, Boise, Colorado Springs, El Paso, Fresno, Spokane, Kansas City, Mo., Monterey, Calif., Oklahoma City, Omaha, San Antonio, Tulsa and Tucson; 100 agents, 160 crews of three people each, and 50 mechanics; $1.3 million in airport facilities and ground equipment, and almost $2 million in a new repair and maintenance base.
--San Diego International Airport and Bakersfield, Fresno, Monterey, Calif., Boise, Colorado Springs, Spokane, Omaha, Oklahoma City and Tulsa; 40 employees; $300,000 investment. Related Article