D.C. airline expands west with LV flights

Rick Velotta

Monday, Jan. 17, 2005 | 10:41 a.m.

Independence Air, a small regional airline based at Washington's Dulles International Airport, is hoping the popularity of Las Vegas will help jump-start the carrier's westward push.

The discount airline announced last week that it will offer two daily round trips between the suburban Washington airport and McCarran International Airport beginning March 1.

The airline will use newly acquired 132-passenger Airbus A319 twin-engine jets on the route. Independence's flights will leave Washington at 9:15 a.m., arriving in Las Vegas at 11:30 a.m., and at 9:30 p.m., arriving in Las Vegas at 11:45 p.m. Return flights will leave Las Vegas at both 12:30 a.m. and p.m., arriving at both 8:05 a.m. and p.m.

Independence, which formerly operated as Atlantic Coast Airlines, built a steady customer base with regional jets operating as a commuter partner to United Airlines.

Last year the airline ended its ties as a United Express carrier and operated regional jets on short-haul routes along the East Coast.

Airline officials said last year that upon taking delivery of the larger Airbus jets, the company would be able to consider transcontinental flights. They said interest in Las Vegas as a destination was high among customers.

The new operations beginning in March are Independence's first routes west of Chicago.

Independence, a subsidiary of FLYi Inc., reduced its schedule to cut increased costs resulting from rising fuel prices and the parent company has been on the brink of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings.