6/30 UPDATE: The inaugural flight of PEOPLExpress Airlines took to the skies from Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport Monday.
The flight to Newark, New Jersey departed around 7:45 a.m., officials said.
*****
NEWPORT NEWS -- PEOPLExpress is ready to launch from Newport News-Williamsburg Airport and officials hope ticket prices will attract riders.
Fares will start at $76 one way and they go on sale next week for flights beginning June 30.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) was on hand Friday morning for the announcement.
The airline will start with two daily, round trips to Newark, one to Boston and one to Pittsburgh. Officials say they'll add more destinations throughout summer to include West Palm Beach on July 15, Atlanta on August 1 and St. Petersburg, Florida and New Orleans as of August 28.
It was February 2012 when the announcement was made that the low-cost airline would be back in business and it hoped to fill the void left when AirTran stopped flights from the Peninsula airport.
Vision Airlines, dba PEOPLExpress, will fly Boeing 737-400 aircraft operated by Vision Airlines bearing the logo of the popular 1980s carrier of the same name but with a fresh, green livery.
'Air travel had become an unpleasant, difficult and costly experience for many travelers and in response to that need the new PEOPLExpress was born with a name that left an indelible mark on aviation history,' Jeff Erickson, a long-time airline executive, said on behalf of the carrier.
Additional Fees
Checked bags: $20 for the first bag and $25 for the second
Living Large seats (bigger seats) are available at $59 per flight segment
Exit row seats are $25 each way
Advance seat assignments are $15 each way
Carry-on bags in overhead bins are $25 for each bag per segment
Beverages are available for purchase to accompany complimentary snacks.
Tickets go on sale June 4 on the carrier's Web site.
A toll-free phone number, (844) 435-9739 or (844-4FLYPEX), is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time every day to answer questions before reservations begin.
Meantime, the airline continues to search for employees.Click here to find jobs available at PEOPLExpress.
