Southwest to offer service at LaGuardia

April 08, 2009|Associated Press

NEW YORK - Southwest Airlines Co. will set up shop at LaGuardia Airport in June - the carrier's first entry into the New York City market.

The Dallas company will have eight daily nonstop flights - five between LaGuardia and Chicago Midway and three between LaGuardia and Baltimore/Washington. A one-way ticket to Baltimore/Washington will cost $49; a Chicago one-way fare will be $89 if purchased 14 days in advance.

Southwest will also provide direct or connecting service from New York to cities such as Las Vegas, Denver, Seattle, San Diego, and Los Angeles.

In December, Southwest agreed to pay $7.5 million for the assets of ATA Airlines, including 14 takeoff and landing slots at LaGuardia, after receiving a bankruptcy judge's approval. The airline had previously steered clear of congested urban airports in favor of secondary airports.

The carrier has said that it is starting service at Logan International Airport in Boston in the fall. While Southwest is expanding into some major US markets, the airline has also been cutting unprofitable routes and will lower capacity 4 percent this year.

Southwest currently serves 65 cities with more than 3,300 flights a day.