Gary institutes new airline service

While it may have been an encore presentation, supporters of the Gary/Chicago International Airport are treating the recent introduction of airline service as a novel event.

With all the promise of a successful business venture, complete with a press conference attended by Gary brass, and the music from the a jazz band, the folks at the Gary airport celebrated Thursday, March 13. The inaugural flight of an Airbus A319 made its anxiously-awaited landing from Piedmont Triad International Airport at Greensboro, North Carolina.

On the return trip to Greensboro, the plane departed Gary at 10:05 a.m., with 110 passengers on board the 156-seat plane. It left on time for the approximately one and a half-hour trip.

Departing passengers came from Northwest Indiana and they came from the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, drawn by the low-cost air fares. A round trip ticket was just $130, according to one traveler.

The Gary startup of Skybus Airlines was announced last January.

Hopes soared for the success of the airline, especially in the wake of the many airline failures that left the Gary/Chicago Airport void of air service since last June. That was when SkyValue ceased operation after just five months in business. Service at Gary has been a come-and-go proposition for many years, starting with Pan Am, back in 2004, Southeast Airlines in 2006, and Hooters Air a few months later.

Airport officials believe this would be a different scenario.

This airline is more than a simple vacation destination tour. It will mark the first time that passengers will be able to connect at Greensboro and go on to other destinations. Skybus currently serves 11 different destinations.

Skybus is attractive because it offers at least 10 seats at $10 on every flight. When those seats are full, the price will be $35 and upwards. Passengers can choose as many or as few add-ons as they like, with options to check baggage, obtain priority boarding, and purchase a wide variety of food, beverages, and gift items on board their flight.

Skybus began operations in Sept. 2006 at Port Columbus, Oh. It was a startup with a plan.

As CEO Bill Diffenderffer says, “We love the airline business and we know that you want to love it too.”

Diffenderffer is an airline veteran, attorney, author, and travel industry executive who brings a varied background to the company.

He is joined by a team of aviation professionals, many of whom have experience in the airline industry, military, airports, and air traffic control, to name a few.

Skybus will offer two flights per day between Gary and Greensboro, N.C. And, there is hope that direct flights between Gary and Columbus, Oh could begin as early as this summer.

For ticket information, log onto www.skybus.com.