SeaPort Airlines Inc. will start service between San Diego and Burbank Oct. 1, the Portland-based company said Wednesday.
The carrier plans to initially offer four roundtrips on its Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft between Lindbergh Field and Burbank Bob Hope Airport each weekday, one each Saturday and two each Sunday. Flights will last about 65 minutes.
To mark the launch, during October, the new flights will cost $69 each way, company officials said. Tickets for the introductory fare must be purchased by Sept. 15, and will be non-refundable, according to the airline.
Airport authorities said the new service will be a particular help for commuting fliers.
“We’re excited that San Diegans will have another convenient option to access downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood-area without the challenges of auto traffic,” said Thella Bowens, head of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. “With several roundtrip flights a day, business travelers can save time when commuting between San Diego and Burbank within the same day.”
The flights will be timed to enable passengers to connect to its future service between San Diego and San Felipe in Baja California. The new flight to Mexico is expected to begin in November.
“We’ve been extremely pleased with the market response to our new service in Southern California launched nearly a year ago,” SeaPort Airlines President Rob McKinney said. “Since then, our customers have been asking us to offer frequent and affordable flights on important commuter routes, with service between San Diego and the Los Angeles area key among them.”
Regular fares will run between $89 and $199 each way.
The company was founded in Juneau, AK 32 years ago and only ran flights in southeast Alaska. SeaPort Air Group, LLC purchased the company, then known as Wings of Alaska, six years ago, and set up a new base in Portland, OR. The company shifted its focus to operating shuttle services, with the first connecting Seattle and Portland.
– City News Service
