Airline Begins L.A. Commute

American Eagle on Monday became the latest in a long line of commuter airlines to begin a commuter service to Los Angeles from North County’s McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad.

Officials of the airline, a subsidiary of American Airlines, say that affiliation--along with extensive market research into the area’s growing commuter population--will allow them to boldly go where no other North County commuter airline has gone before.

In other words, they’re confident their new business venture will fly.

“Definitely, we’re going to take off,� said Chuck Navigante, general manager for American Eagle in Carlsbad. “To my understanding, none of the previous commuter flights were affiliated with a major airline.

“But that’s where we’re different. We’ve tied our flight arrivals directly into the departure times of major American Airline flights out of Los Angeles International Airport.�

With Monday’s 7 a.m. takeoff of a 19-seat Fairchild Metro-III turbo-prop aircraft, the airline began offering five 40-minute flights daily out of North County. Other flights depart at 11:20 a.m., 2:10 p.m., 5:52 p.m. and 8:05 p.m.

The company is operating out of a 12-by-60-foot portable trailer that on Monday was laden with send-off signs and balloons. An introductory fare of $39 one-way to Los Angeles International Airport will eventually give way to one-way fares ranging from $48 to $129.

On Monday, the initial flight had nine passengers and the second served 10 travelers, Navigante said. Many of the passengers were transferring in Los Angeles to other flights bound for Seattle, Hawaii and the East Coast.

“They all said they’re glad we’re here,� Navigante said.

The airline, based in San Luis Obispo, had heard from many North County commuters who were tired of being caught in a transportation vacuum between San Diego’s Lindbergh Field and John Wayne Airport in Orange County, he said.

“North County is ready for a service like this,� Navigante said. “We wouldn’t be in this market if we hadn’t done our homework--research that showed there are a growing number of commuters and travelers out there to take our flights, and the fact that the parking is free at Palomar Airport. What other airport can make that claim?�

The route between Carlsbad and Los Angeles, however, is strewn with the bones of failed commuter ventures.

Since the McClellan--Palomar Airport opened in 1960, almost a dozen airlines have attempted to provide North County’s growing population with commuter service to Los Angeles, but the firms either couldn’t get started or ran out of gas and had to suspend flights.

But a spokesman for Grand Airways of Las Vegas, the last commuter airline to suspend services along the route, said American Eagle may have the financial and scheduling clout to make it work.

“To be honest, I think they’ll make it,� said Kim Hester, director of sales and marketing for Grand Airways in Los Angeles. “It makes a big difference to feed into major flights departing LAX.�

She said American Airlines’ reservation agents would begin suggesting North County as a departure site for San Diego travelers. “All they have to do is advertise. And that’s what they’re doing.�

Hester said American Eagle officials told her that the affiliate does not have to show a profit to be successful. “They’ll be judged on how many passengers they can put on American flights in Los Angeles. So they can look like heroes on paper and still lose money at first while they try to build up their commuter market--people who fly to L.A. for the day or whatever.�

Hester said Grand Airways--which closed its office at the North County airport last month--only did about 10% of its business on the commuter run. Much of its passenger load comes through fares to the Grand Canyon from Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

“We just didn’t have the money to put into local North County marketing to do the trick,� she said.

Rick Jenkins, manager at the McClellan-Palomar Airport, said he hopes that American Eagle will succeed where others have failed. “I’ve already heard them advertising on the radio. And we’ve had travel agents stop by asking about the service, so I’m sure the word is getting out.

“With previous ventures, we had so many calls from people asking if we offered flights to Los Angeles. So the word wasn’t getting out. People didn’t know the airline existed,� Jenkins said.

“These guys have learned from other people’s mistakes, I guess.�