Palmdale may land airline

The carrier, Gateway Air, could be operating in a month if it flies on an unscheduled basis, president Stephen Hamile said Tuesday.

If it sets up a schedule of regular flights, the company would need about 90 days to get off the ground, Hamile announced at a meeting of the Palmdale Regional Airport Advisory Council.

The extra time would be needed to fly the proposed routes and file a flight schedule with the Federal Aviation Administration, he said.

At present, Gateway's parent company, Chase Couriers Limited, operates an air delivery service from 15 airports across the country.

Chase Couriers is expanding into passenger service between some of those airports, particularly those lacking attention by a major carrier.

The company already operates a tour service to wineries in the Napa Valley, Hamile said, and it could operate on a similar basis to Las Vegas, working in conjunction with casinos and travel companies.

As with its operation in Columbia, near Fresno, it also could provide connections with major airlines in other cities instead of limiting passengers to flights in and out of Los Angeles International, Burbank, Ontario or John Wayne airports.

Hamile was in the Antelope Valley to search for possible operating sites at the Palmdale airport, where United Express runs the only passenger service.

That service consists of six flights a day, but all of them go only to LAX.

Gateway Air recently acquired 11 Beechcraft 1300 commuter planes - twin-engine turboprop models that carry 13 passengers and a crew of two, Hamile said.

Those planes "need a home if someone wants us," he said, "and I think it could be Palmdale.

"We could become a substantial employer," he continued, "but we need to know what Palmdale needs from an air carrier, what destinations are wanted, (and) will we become a luxury/convenience item or will people use us instead of commuting to Burbank or Ontario?"

In order to succeed, Gateway Air will have to run a scheduled service, Hamile said, but two planes could begin operating on an unscheduled basis in about four weeks.

Those planes could make three trips a day on Fridays, Sundays and Wednesdays to both Las Vegas and Sacramento, he said.

Earlier this month, Palmdale airport's owner, the City of Los Angeles Department of Airports, reported the airfield's domestic travel was down 40% from March 1994 and its freight traffic was down 25%.

A year ago, the SkyWest company closed its operations, leaving United Express the airport's only passenger carrier.