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Friday, February 05, 2010
N.M. Airlines Juggles Schedule
By Stella Davis
Carlsbad Current-Argus
CARLSBAD — New Mexico Airlines has discontinued its flights between Carlsbad and El Paso due to low passenger numbers, but it is adding a third flight to Albuquerque from Carlsbad with a stop in Alamogordo to compensate the community.
Greg Kahlstorf, chief executive office for Pacific Air Holdings, the parent company of New Mexico Airlines, said American Eagle's flights from Roswell to Los Angeles, Calif., has had a big impact on his company's flight offering from Carlsbad to El Paso.
He said New Mexico Airlines is adding a third flight to Albuquerque from Carlsbad with a stop in Alamogordo to compensate the community for the discontinued flights to El Paso.
The company's prediction to community leaders that ridership would drop off dramatically after American Eagle — a subsidiary of American Airlines — began flights from Roswell to Los Angeles has come to pass. He said the Carlsbad-El Paso route was receiving strong support until American Eagle began air service from Roswell to the West Coast.
"American offers $87 tickets one-way from Roswell to Los Angeles with an advance purchase and connections to other destinations. We can't meet that. Our fare from Carlsbad to El Paso was $49; that's the lowest we could go. Then, connecting with another airline such as Southwest Airlines to Los Angeles on a good day would cost the passenger about $180 or more on Southwest. They have said their fare is also the lowest they can go. So people are choosing to fly from Roswell where they can fly direct to Los Angeles."
"Our partnership with the city of Carlsbad is strong. I think the people are better off in terms of air travel to Albuquerque. The have the lowest fare ever seen on flights to Albuquerque. We plan to keep the $89 fares as long as fuel costs remain stable," he said.
Kahlstorf said his company's mission is to continue to provide safe and reliable transportation to Albuquerque as Carlsbad's essential air service carrier. He said worrying about trying to compete with a major air carrier is futile. He said New Mexico Airlines' niche in the airline industry is offering air service to small communities, which is proving to be successful.
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