Jackson Cit Pat: Lansing to D.C. flights to return through American Airlines
April 1, 2016
The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved American Airlines' petition to the Federal Aviation Administration for an exemption to bring back a round-trip flight between Lansing and Washington, D.C.
The announcement comes five months after Sun Country Airlines stopped offering the service.
The approval authorizes American Airlines to begin one round-trip daily flight between Capital Region International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 90 days from Thursday, March 31, according to a press release from the Lansing airport.
A actual start date, schedule and fares for the flight have yet to be determined, the release said.
While he hasn't had direct contact with the American Airlines since the announcement, Bob Selig, president and CEO of Capital Region International Airport, said he hopes to talk with the airline Friday, April 1, to start the process.
"American Airlines is essentially starting over with this, as it has a whole host of things to do," Selig said in a phone interview. "We lost about 20 percent of our passengers because of Sun Country. It affected revenue and increased the cost for travelers."
In addition the Lansing-Washington, D.C. flight, the release said American Airlines plans to offer three daily flights from Lansing to Chicago O'Hare International Airport. A start date, schedule and fares also are yet to be determined, the release said.
Both the Reagan and O'Hare airports are key American Airlines hubs.
It is a considerable relief to be able to take these next steps with American Airlines, Selig said. He said the community came together to make this happen, and people are celebrating the results.
Accomplishing this would not have been possible without the efforts of U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, U.S. Representatives Tim Walberg, Mike Bishop and John Moolenaar, and more than 1,200 business leaders who wrote letters to the Department of Transportation, Selig said in the release.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to our coalition members and the broader community for the willingness to lend support to this important effort," Jim Robinson, chair of the Mid-Michigan Business Travel Coalition, said in the release. "This is truly a victory for the entire region to celebrate."
This article originally appeared in the April 1 edition of the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
The announcement comes five months after Sun Country Airlines stopped offering the service.
The approval authorizes American Airlines to begin one round-trip daily flight between Capital Region International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 90 days from Thursday, March 31, according to a press release from the Lansing airport.
A actual start date, schedule and fares for the flight have yet to be determined, the release said.
While he hasn't had direct contact with the American Airlines since the announcement, Bob Selig, president and CEO of Capital Region International Airport, said he hopes to talk with the airline Friday, April 1, to start the process.
"American Airlines is essentially starting over with this, as it has a whole host of things to do," Selig said in a phone interview. "We lost about 20 percent of our passengers because of Sun Country. It affected revenue and increased the cost for travelers."
In addition the Lansing-Washington, D.C. flight, the release said American Airlines plans to offer three daily flights from Lansing to Chicago O'Hare International Airport. A start date, schedule and fares also are yet to be determined, the release said.
Both the Reagan and O'Hare airports are key American Airlines hubs.
It is a considerable relief to be able to take these next steps with American Airlines, Selig said. He said the community came together to make this happen, and people are celebrating the results.
Accomplishing this would not have been possible without the efforts of U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, U.S. Representatives Tim Walberg, Mike Bishop and John Moolenaar, and more than 1,200 business leaders who wrote letters to the Department of Transportation, Selig said in the release.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to our coalition members and the broader community for the willingness to lend support to this important effort," Jim Robinson, chair of the Mid-Michigan Business Travel Coalition, said in the release. "This is truly a victory for the entire region to celebrate."
This article originally appeared in the April 1 edition of the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
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