12:07pm | Long Beach Airport (LGB) has announced the allocation of the three open flight slots to JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines, and US Airways. The three airlines submitted requests for over twice as many slots as were available.
“The overwhelming demand for these flight slots demonstrates that airlines fully recognize the quality of the Long Beach Airport,” said Mayor Bob Foster.
By allocating the Air Carrier Slots to airlines currently providing service at LGB, the airport hopes to diversify and add new destinations to provide even more alternatives for travel to new markets from Long Beach.
“Long Beach Airport already provides excellent customer service and now we’re moving forward to continue exceeding passengers’ expectations,” said 5th District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske.
The flights slots became available due to the departure of Allegiant Airlines.
“We said we’d immediately fill the slots, and we did,” Airport Director Mario Rodriguez said. “Long Beach Airport has much more demand for slots than what we can provide.”
Demand for seat capacity at Long Beach Airport has increased this year by 4 percent, a reversal of the current downward trend at many nearby airports in the Southern California region.
With the departure of Allegiant Airlines’ MD-80 aircraft, the airport will see a positive net result in the noise compliance initiatives with the quieter aircraft of the airlines awarded the slots.
Each of the three airlines that requested slots was allocated one slot, in accordance with the Long Beach Municipal Code. The slots will be available for service by the airlines on November 29, 2011.