NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — After a 25-year absence, the airline brand synonymous with low fares, no frills and high customer-service reviews has been resurrected.
The new People Express will be based at Newport News/Williamsburg Airport in Virginia, and will initially launch Boeing 737-400 service in early summer to Pittsburgh; Providence, R.I.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Newark, according to COO Mike Morisi.
The new People Express debuts as AirTran exits the airport.
Fares are still being finalized, but all fares will include seat assignments, and there will be no fees for the first two checked bags, Morisi said.
“Passengers will be seated in a single cabin with 158 seats with a pricing structure that is significantly more affordable than regional service provided by feeder airlines,” Morisi said.
“We expect to provide 12 departures initially, which will grow to about 25 daily departures from Newport News over the first few years,” he said.
Morisi was a team manager for the original People Express, which operated from 1981 to 1987 before it merged with Continental Airlines.
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