Oregon Public Broadcasting

In two weeks, a new airline takes to the Northwest skies.  SeaPort Air will compete for business travelers on the Seattle to Portland route.  Correspondent Tom Banse reports it’s an interesting time to start an airline, to say the least.

Soaring jet fuel prices have bankrupted a passel of airlines.  Who in their right mind would start new air service now?  Well, a trio of Portland investors is doing so.

Kent Craford is one of them, and he’s the new CEO of SeaPort Airlines.

Kent Craford: “Well, the best time to enter a market is when your competitors are on the ropes. There’s been a need for an alternative for a very long time.”

SeaPort Airlines wants to appeal to travelers fed up with I-5 congestion or big airline and airport hassles.

The carrier will fly into Seattle’s Boeing Field.  Its passengers avoid TSA security because the airline’s single engine turbo prop planes are too small to merit a checkpoint.

The introductory fare of $75 each way is around what most Seattle-to-Portland travelers pay on Horizon or United.

Onine:

SeaPort Airlines