People Express Might Fly Again as Early as This Summer
People Express, the no-frills carrier that launched amid much hoopla a quarter century ago, may fly again as soon this summer under the same name but with more capital letters, PEOPLExpress. It still needs some financing and federal approval but does have investors.
It is proposing to serve East Coast markets with a fleet of leased 737-400 aircraft. It’s aiming at markets that have little or no service and tend to be served by regional carriers. The carrier will be based at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport in Newport News, Va., an airport served by the original Newark-based People Express and about to lose its service from AirTran Airways. It plans to focus on service to Florida, New England, the Great Lakes and the Mid-Atlantic.
Initial destinations likely will include Pittsburgh, Pa., Providence, R.I., West Palm Beach, Fla., and Newark, N.J., and the carrier says it also has plans to serve Orlando and Boston. Pittsburgh is a potential “focus city.”
The original People Express, which prided itself on its no-lace-doily service, flew passengers at outrageously low prices—$149 to London. It grew rapidly into one of the nation’s largest airlines. It could be a hassle to fly, passengers camped out to get standby seats on flights that were overbooked and had to pay for all extras—bags, food and drinks—in an era in which other airlines included all of those offerings in their fares.
The company, which started flying in 1981, made money but ultimately, revenues couldn’t keep up with the pace of its aggressive expansion and competition from major carriers. It put itself up for sale and in 1987 merged with Continental Airlines.
