Alliance backs SLO County Airport
Within days of recent cutbacks at the San Luis Obispo County Airport, the Economic Vitality Corp., or EVC, and the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce joined forces to help retain and attract airline service at the county airport by forming the SLO County Air Transportation Alliance.
As previously announced, Delta has discontinued service at the airport, while American Eagle said it will cut service Nov. 1. Meanwhile, US Airways announced in recent days that it will expand service to Phoenix from San Luis Obispo.
The alliance wants to make certain infrastructure improvements at the airport. Alliance members visited American Airlines in Dallas last month to learn more about their reasons for leaving an airport that they have been serving longer than any other airline.
In less than a week, the alliance obtained nearly 135 letters of support and over 1,300 traveler survey responses.
U.S. Airways recently announced it will begin adding 80 seats by replacing its 50-passenger regional jets with 90-passenger regional jets beginning this fall.
As a result of reductions followed by new service, the total loss of seat capacity at the airport is 98. This has improved from the initial estimates of 33 percent less flights. United Airlines aid it will continue to offer flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and U.S. Airways will continue to offer flights to Phoenix.
