14/03/10, 21:57:23 EDT

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Low-cost airline set to make first flight out of Columbus

dailymail.com

The success or failure of a new discount airline depends on whether some travelers are willing to fly to smaller, secondary airports and then drive 30 minutes or more to reach destinations such as Boston or Seattle, analysts say.

Skybus Airlines is scheduled to make its inaugural flight Tuesday, entering the often stormy industry of low-cost air travel. The company has plans to fly to 25 cities from its Columbus hub, using a model aimed at competing with Southwest and other no-frills airlines.

Every Skybus flight will offer at least 10 tickets for $10 each.

Skybus officials said they see an opportunity to draw would-be passengers from Cleveland, Cincinnati and as far as Fort Wayne, Ind., and Charleston, W.Va.

More than 200,000 tickets have already been sold. Tickets are booked solely through the company's Web site to save costs, part of a business strategy that also includes charging passengers for added services. Priority boarding will cost $10, and sandwiches and salads will cost up to $10.

Port Columbus International Airport is already served by low-cost carriers JetBlue and SouthWest, yet the Skybus business plan convinced local investors such as Nationwide Mutual Capital to come onboard.

 Printable Version  | published May 21, 2007