United Airlines is backing out of service to Atlantic City International Airport just eight months after starting flights to Chicago and Houston.
That caught New Jersey officials such as Governor Chris Christie—who touted the service as an important piece of turning Atlantic City’s fortunes around—by surprise.
“I just heard about it when it was announced. We didn’t really get much of a heads up from them,” Christie said at an event in Atlantic City. “I’m going to be reaching out to the CEO and sit down and talk to them about what their reasoning was for all of that, but again, they make business decisions both to come in and to leave—we can’t control that. But I’d certainly like to have a deeper explanation than the one I have gotten so far, which is none.”
United issued a statement that it was ending the service between the airport and Chicago and Houston, because the service is “no longer sustainable.”
Flights began in April and were seen by local officials as an important step to better utilize the airport and help develop Atlantic City as a destination resort and a convention destination.
“We’re disappointed that the service from Atlantic City International Airport didn’t meet our expectations,” United spokeswoman Mary Clark said in a press release. “As a partner in our hub state’s economic development efforts, we agreed to test the Atlantic City market by re-entering it earlier this year. In every market we serve, we continually review demand for the service and our Atlantic City routes are no longer sustainable.”
The service is scheduled to end December 3. When it does, Atlantic City International Airport will again be a one-airline airport served only by Spirit Airlines.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey—which now runs the airport—and the South Jersey Transportation Authority—which owns it—urged the airline to reconsider its decision in a jointly released statement.
“The South Jersey Transportation Authority and Port Authority are disappointed in United Airlines’ announcement that it will cut its two routes between Atlantic City International Airport and Chicago and Houston after only seven months of operations, and urges the carrier to reconsider its decision to give the service more time to develop,” the release said.
Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak also said in a release that the state will work to attract another airline to serve Atlantic City.
“There will be ups and downs in the process of reinvigorating Atlantic City, but we hope to work with air carriers on new opportunities,” he said.
Atlantic City Mayor Donald Guardian told the local Press of Atlantic City that he believes at least two other carriers are considering flying to the airport and negotiating with the Port Authority. He did not name them.
United was received a package of financial incentives from the South Jersey Transportation Authority to start the flights as part of a one-year agreement. The airline received reduced rates for landing, fuel and service fees. The State Casino Reinvestment Development Authority also provided $60,000 in marketing support for the flights.
The authority also spent $2 million in its own marketing of the flights. Officials said they don’t consider the money wasted, however, as the marketing effort gave the authority access to new databases and also shows that the authority will back up any airline that chooses to service the airport.
The loss of the flights wasn’t the only blow to the airport after news was released that the airport failed a Port Authority inspection and was labeled as being in the worst shape of any Port Authority airport—which includes New York’s notorious LaGuardia Airport.
The review found that the Atlantic City airport was not being cleaned consistently.
According to the internal report which was leaked to the Press of Atlantic City, inspectors found heavy dirt and grime, thick dust, chipped paint, scuffed floors, scratches on the doors and walls, stained ceiling tiles and frayed and soiled carpets.
The airport’s restrooms also had “an unpleasant lingering odor,” discolored floors and scratched countertops-with two of the men’s rooms have “urine pooling on the floor under the urinals.”
Officials said they will work to with AvPorts Management, a private company that oversees the airport’s day-to-day operations, to improve maintenance at the airport.
