Springfield-to-Chicago service gains approval

by Karen E. Culp

SBJ Staff

United Express airline is taking off for Chicago from Springfield.

Atlantic Coast Airlines, which does business as United Express, was granted 16 slot exemptions April 21 for use at Chicago's O'Hare airport, said Jennifer Heronema, public relations manager for Atlantic Coast Airlines.

"This opens a world of opportunity for us. I know there's a market there in Springfield and Branson," Heronema said.

United Express was competing with Simmons, which does business as American Eagle. Simmons received 16 slot exemptions, and it will use those to provide service to Chicago from Duluth, Minn., Fayetteville, Ark., Montgomery, Ala., and Shreveport, Ala.

In addition to Springfield, United Express received slot exemptions to serve Charleston, W. Va. and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., according to information from the United States Department of Transportation.

The department also announced slot exemptions for Trans-States and America West Airlines at O'Hare, and it announced slot exemptions for New York City's LaGuardia, which is also slot-controlled.

The department was expected to announce the slot exemptions in March; the delay will cause United Express to push back its start time for the service, Heronema said.

"We were set to begin service in June, but the jets we had purchased for those services have been put in service elsewhere, so it may be the fall before we get the service started," Heronema said.

The airline now must begin a "whole other regulatory process" with the Federal Aviation Administration to determine its flight schedule, fares and other information, Heronema said. The flight schedule will probably involve morning, midday and evening departures from Springfield, but the exact times have not yet been set, Heronema said.

A congressional mandate spurred the Department of Transportation to begin issuing slot exemptions at slot-controlled O'Hare, LaGuardia and JFK Airports, Heronema said. Slot-controlled airports are those at which the number of take-offs and landings is controlled because of the amount of traffic at those airports. The Department of Transportation denied slot exemptions to JFK for Pan American and Carnival Air Lines during this latest decision.

United Express has never served any markets out of Chicago, so this is a "new opportunity for the airline," Heronema said.

"This is our first venture into the Chicago marketplace and we're glad Springfield-Branson is one of the first we will serve out of that market," Heronema said.

Branson-Daniels said it will be interesting now to watch what the nonstop Chicago service will do to competing airlines.

"Several years of work are now falling into place. This airport has been and continues to work for air-service enhancement, and I think this is evidence that we are enhancing our service," Branson-Daniels said.

Though the United Express fares from Springfield to Chicago have yet to be set, they are to be competitive, Heronema said.

Heronema said the Chicago service from Springfield would give travelers access to United Airlines, the company's marketing partner, and to that airline's 137 destinations.

Branson-Daniels said the fact that Springfield got the service was partially the result of letters of support written by area legislators and businesspeople. First Card and Bass Pro Shops were among those supporting the addition of this service, she said.

Congressman Roy Blunt also offered his support and issued a statement April 21 applauding the Department of Transportation's decision.

"We're extremely excited and very pleased. This is quite an opportunity for Springfield and Branson," Branson-Daniels said.

Branson-Daniels said that the airport staff will now be working with Springfield's and Branson's Convention and Visitors Bureaus to fill the spots on the flights.

The three nonstop flights will be on 50-seat Canadair regional jets, Heronema said. Atlantic Coast has nearly 220 departures from its hub at Washington Dulles Airport. It serves 47 destinations in 20 states and operates a fleet of 67 aircraft.

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