ExpressJet flights may boost traffic at airport 7.4% a year

ExpressJet Airlines will operate two daily round-trip, nonstop flights from the Colorado Springs Airport to airports in San Diego, Sacramento and Ontario, Calif., the airline said Monday. Service to Sacramento and Ontario begins April 30, and service to San Diego begins May 7.

ExpressJet's new service is expected to increase passenger traffic at the Colorado Springs Airport by 7.4 percent annually, according to airport officials.

The airline, which also operates regional jets for Continental Airlines in Colorado Springs, is launching its own airline to serve 24 midsized cities with nonstop service. Passengers will check in at an ExpressJet Airlines ticket counter at the Colorado Springs Airport and can purchase tickets on www.xjet.com or any major national ticket dis- tribution Web site.

The airline plans to employ 11 people in Colorado Springs, said Jon Weaver, ExpressJet vice president of system operations. ExpressJet is investing about $525,000 to start the operation.

ExpressJet round-trip ticket prices from Colorado Springs to San Diego, Sacramento or Ontario will range from $260 to

$310 per person, not including taxes and fees, as advertised on ExpressJet Airlines' Web site.

Airline officials hope to attract passengers who want the convenience of nonstop service, Weaver said.

Although it is not a lowcost carrier, adding another air carrier to the Colorado Springs Airport is expected to increase competition and possibly reduce ticket prices for flights out of Colorado Springs, Mayor Lionel Rivera said at a Monday news conference announcing the new service.

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COLORADO SPRINGS DEPARTURE TIMES TO

Ontario: 12:45 p.m. and 4:50 p.m.

Sacramento: 11:20 a.m. and 6:55 p.m.

San Diego: 10:10 a.m. and 5:50 p.m.

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