Starting in June, for the first time in the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport’s recent history, flights will take travelers from BNIA directly to Los Angeles.
JetBlue and New York Senator Charles Schumer (D) announced the upcoming service on Monday morning. Schumer said the added flight will increase business opportunities for western New Yorkers and draw even more Canadians into the airport.
Buffalo Niagara International Airport has only added one new route since 2008. Recently, Southwest Airlines announced it will begin flying nonstop to Denver in June.
Since 2008, BNIA has actually seen a decrease in the amount of flights per day. In July of 2008, there were about 120 daily flights. That number is expected to be about 90 this July. An NFTA spokesperson says that the decrease in flights is due to the recent merges between Southwest with AirTran, American with USAir and Delta with Northwest.
However, NFTA officials say that the Buffalo Niagara International Airport has become more competitive in recent years, which is part of why JetBlue has added the new route to Los Angeles.
In about 1998, the BNIA was one of the most expensive airports in the country to fly out of, according to airport officials. It is the 25th most cost efficient airport out of the top 100 markets in the United States.
Airport officials credit JetBlue with the turn-around, stating that the airline forced competitors to lower ticket prices in Buffalo
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