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Independence – low cost carriers converging on Washington
Independence will begin flying to 35 destinations from Washington Dulles on June 16. By the end of the summer, it will be operating 300 daily departures.
Dulles is already home to discount carriers jetBlue, AirTran, Frontier and Ted, while rival Southwest is a major presence at Baltimore/Washington International Airport.
In response, United Airlines has announced new low fares on competing routes.
In the fall, Independene will begin adding 27 new 132-seat A319s.
Its claims to fame include fast boarding and deplaning, planeside carry on baggage check-in and no middle seats. The later means all passengers will have either an aisle or window seat.
By using 50-seat regional jets, Independence says it will be able to provide frequent, low-cost service to its markets.
Charleston, W. Va. is included in the new routes, making it the first low-fare carrier to fly to the city.
The area previously had limited its tourism marketing to travelers within driving distance. But now luring more distant visitors is an option, according to Brian Belcher, the airport’s director of marketing and flight operations.
The airline will not be paying agent commissions, according to an airline spokesperson.
Report by David Wilkening
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