Atlantic City International Airport could be part of a small start-up airline’s growth strategy, adding another needed carrier to the airport.
Officials for PEOPLExpress—a start-up carrier looking to revive the iconic name—told the Press of Atlantic City that they are looking at Atlantic City and may even use the airport as a hub.
“We do have a keen interest in service there,” PEOPLExpress CEO Jeff Erickson told the Press.
Possible flights could be between Atlantic City and Newport News, Va., Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Boston, Providence, R.I. and Islip, N.Y., Erickson said. The company is also considering flights to Florida.
Starting June 30, PEOPLExpress will launch service from its Newport News hub to Newark, Boston and Pittsburgh, the Press reported.
PEOPLExpress is reviving the name of the 1980s discount carrier—later bought by Continental Airlines—and is operated by Vision Airlines.
“Our strategy is to re-create the low costs and good customer service culture that the previous PEOPLExpress established 25 years ago,” Erickson said.
Erickson told the Press he sees Atlantic City as an underserved market.
“It’s been bypassed by a lot of carriers,” Erickson said. “Our whole theme is to serve cities that have been underserved. Atlantic City fits that strategy. I think there’s a lot of opportunity there.”
He said the airline has been talking with Atlantic City casinos and has also had preliminary discussions with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the South Jersey Transportation Authority and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority about financial incentives to start service.
“We would be bringing people in from cities where it’s either too far or cumbersome for bus travel. We kind of see it as a win-win in partnership with the casinos,” Erickson said.
