Independence Air announces Columbia to Orlando fli

[The_sandlapper]

Air service to Orlando!

Independence Air announces Columbia to Orlando flights beginning in Oct.

(Columbia) Aug. 17, 2004 - The CEO of Independence Air announced on Tuesday that his airline would begin flying twice a day from Columbia Metropolitan Airport to Orlando and back in October.

CEO Kerry Skeen said the flights will sell for an introductory one-way price of $39 before selling for as low as $59 each way thereafter. The flights begin on October 13th, "This is unique in terms of our business plan that we're doing something other than Dulles flying and we think the market is here to support the service. We think we'll stimulate the market with low fares and we're entering the winter season where Florida obviously does well in the winter time."

The flights to Orlando will leave at 11:05am and arrive at 12:30pm and will leave at 7:20pm and arrive at 8:45pm. The flights to Columbia will leave Orlando at 9:15am and arrive at 10:35am and will leave at 5:30pm and arrive at 6:50pm.

The low-fare air carrier began flights out of Columbia Metro in June. The airline operates seven flights daily from Columbia to its Washington Dulles International hub. The CAE web site reports round-trip fares to and from Dulles are as low as $59 and no higher than $122.

Independence Air began offering $69 seats to Washington out of Charleston starting in mid-July. It also began flights from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport last month. One-way fares to Washington, DC, are as low as $59.

Plans call for Independence Air to eventually serve 50 destinations with a schedule of about 700 flights. Independence Air, a unit of Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings, has one-way fares as low as $39 to other destinations.

The company flies 50-passenger Canadair regional jets and will soon have 130-passenger Airbus jets, which will enable passengers to fly to the West Coast.

Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, Northwest Airlines, Independence Air,

United Express and US Airways Express also fly out of Columbia Metro Airport.

[uptownliving]

I bet Columbia is happy to see any new air service...that is an underserved airport.

[Spartan]

Definately underserved... any new service in Columbia is good news!

[The_sandlapper]

Independence Air now expanding direct flights to Tampa.

Airline to add flights to Tampa

Independence Air will expand service to Sunshine State in November

By BEN WERNER

Staff Writer

Columbia