For the reason that starting, JSX has targeted on flying Embraer 135s/145s with 30 seats onboard to offer that premium expertise prospects need get round guidelines that wouldn’t enable this sort of service with greater than 30 seats. Naturally, JSX has leaned into that seat limitation to create a premium expertise throughout together with using personal terminals. After all, the airplane itself is barely a part of the story, however JSX is now making an enormous wager that prospects will nonetheless think about it a premium expertise even when it’s on a turboprop. And now we’re beginning to hear the place these airplanes will fly.
JSX stated earlier in the summertime that it might quickly start ATR-42 service. Preliminary plans have solely not too long ago change into extra clear. Service will start with two leased ATR-42s that used to fly for Silver earlier than it failed. The plan is to introduce them in California from Nov.
As of in the present day, JSX serves eight airports in California together with Harmony, Monterey, Napa, and Oakland within the north together with Burbank, Carlsbad, LAX, and Orange County within the south. Close by it additionally serves Las Vegas, Reno, and Scottsdale (AZ). These airports all work with 30-seat jets, apparently, so what does the airline want the ATRs for? Not these airports. It has different concepts.
Sure, they’re cheaper to function. Even with a 30-seat inside (it may maintain round 50 normally, identical to these ERJ-145s), the prices can be considerably much less. However this doesn’t appear to be about value. This appears to be about operational functionality. ATR’s press launch offers us extra clues. Within the launch, JSX CEO Alex Wilcox is quoted as saying
The ATR -600 sequence will deliver over 1,000 new airports into attain for JSX, increasing entry to dependable public constitution flights throughout the good United States. Many of those airports had been, till now, reserved solely for individuals who had the means to fly personal…
So that is actually a wager that JSX is making. It thinks passengers can be keen to tolerate the louder and slower turboprop in alternate for a extra handy airport. Possibly they may, however I wouldn’t name it a secure wager.
The query now could be how far more handy these airports can be. We all know three targets thus far.
Alex stated at a current occasion that the airline will ultimately fly to Truckee (CA) and Telluride (CO). These are high-altitude airports with difficult working circumstances. Each have runways of over 7,000 ft which might be 100 ft huge, however Telluride sits greater than 9,000 ft above sea degree whereas Truckee is nearer to six,000 simply north of Lake Tahoe.
Telluride sits on a plateau with a 1,000 foot drop at one finish should you fail to cease in time. With winter climate being fairly dicey, airways typically decide to fly to close by Montrose as an alternative. However the demand to fly into Telluride stays nice. With all of the wealth within the space, individuals need the comfort and are keen to pay for it. At the moment, Denver Air Connection does truly fly jets out there with the Dorner 328JET from each Phoenix and Denver. However that could be a lengthy out-of-production small jet that’s uniquely capable of deal with working on the airport. It’s nice for Denver Air Connection, however it doesn’t present a lot alternative for anybody else.
In the meantime, Truckee doesn’t have any commecial service in any respect. It sits on the north aspect of Lake Tahoe, reverse the previous Lake Tahoe Airport which nonetheless lies on the south aspect however has been unable to help business service for 25 years. Truckee lies simply off I-80, and it’s solely about half an hour drive to the Reno airport from there. The factor is, when the climate is dangerous, that drive can take lots longer.
Each of those airports serve very rich areas. They’ll additionally present some somewhat turbulent flying experiences due to the mountainous terrain. I’m very curious how individuals will really feel about this service.
We don’t know what different airports make up that somewhat prolonged checklist of 1,000… apart from one. Apparently JSX is attempting to fly the ATR into Santa Monica on the west aspect of the LA Basin. That is one heck of a combat that, if JSX wins, will solely let the airline fly for a pair years. In spite of everything, the residents of Santa Monica have a deep hatred of the airport. They acquired the runway minimize down to three,500 ft to get rid of most jet site visitors, and the airport is scheduled to shut for good on the finish of 2028.
This service makes loads of sense on the ATR in that it’s nearly the one possibility that would use the airport. It’s much more handy than LAX for a really wealthy a part of the LA space. I may simply think about flights to Las Vegas working from right here, although they might be a bit of slower because the ATR isn’t recognized for its fast tempo, to say the least.
However with Santa Monica closing quickly, this looks as if a waste of time. Possibly JSX hopes that Santa Monica could have a change of coronary heart once they get this service. Yeah, proper.
Total, I do discover this to be a extremely fascinating pivot by JSX. Within the US market, turboprops are decidedly seen as inferior to jets by shoppers. Acceptance is way decrease right here than it’s in different international locations. But JSX is a premium operation. A few of these airports are definitely engaging, however the tradeoff is slower flight instances. That’s particularly a problem within the West the place distances are additional.
